Dietary And Food Service Aide I - PD

Per Diem Dietary & Food Services Aide

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community health care to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, Melrose/Wakefield Healthcare, an expansive home care network and a large clinically integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated employees and caregivers.

We are seeking a per diem Dietary & Food Services Aide. At Tufts Medicine - Lowell General Hospital, we're more than a health system – we're a community of the brightest minds and the biggest hearts in healthcare. We combine academic innovation with compassion and community. Our Environmental Services Workers are a critical part of our team and our hospital. Lowell General Hospital is a great place to work – with a family friendly culture, competitive salaries, and great benefits. If that excites you, then you belong with us.

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries
• Free on-campus parking
• Career growth opportunities
• Guaranteed hours and set schedule

Location: Lowell General Hospital - 295 Varnum Avenue - Lowell, MA

Hours: Per Diem - Variable Hours - Every other weekend (Sat-Sun) and every other holiday is required

Job Overview

Under general supervision, this position works in any location where food is prepared including retail, patient and catering operations. This position is involved in all aspects of food services including assisting with menu selection, food preparation, food delivery, kitchen cleanliness and sanitation.

Preferred Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• One (1) year in hospital food services.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintains and communicates accurate and updated diet order information through the system to ensure patients receive appropriate meals, nourishments and commercial enteral products in accordance with current diet order.
• Elicits patient information regarding food preferences, intolerances, likes and dislikes. Alerts the Clinical Dietitian to any actual or potential nutritional problems of patients.
• Assists patients with menu selection and writes and corrects regular and as assigned modified diets for patients. Responsible for maintaining high level of accuracy and appropriateness of patient trays.
• Delivers trays to patients, picks up trays from patients.
• Follows all precautions on patient units by donning and doffing PPE appropriately. Performs hand hygiene according to standards.
• Stocks nursing unit pantries with nourishments and dietary supplies, utilizing first-in, first-out system.
• Ensures accurate tray assembly on patient tray line. Prepares normal menu items, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and special items.
• Operates a variety of kitchen utensils to weigh, measure, mix, wash, peel, cut, grind, stir, strain, season and knead food items for cooking, serving and storing
• Assists in the preparation of hot and/or cold foods, and properly stores food, utilizing knowledge of temperature requirements and spoilage.
• Maintains accurate sanitation and temperature logs in work area according to regulatory requirements.
• Assists with setup, stocking, serving and delivering of food from counters, steam tables and work stations
• Responsible for cleaning and sanitizing of dishware, equipment and work stations. Strips, sanitizes, stacks, patients' trays and utensils in dish room, reassembles tray line. Cleans and sanitizes pots and utensils equipment, floors, walls, dish machine, etc
• Removes trash from assigned workstation and/or from kitchen to specified area. Returns empty bottles and cans to recycle bin located in receiving /loading dock area. Removes crushed cardboard to designated areas.
• Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.
• May prepare special nutritional products such as infant formulas, modular tube feedings, or powdered nutritionals for high-risk adult patients.
• May operate a cash register (or equivalent), receives payments of cash, checks and charges from customers or employees for goods or services, making change and issuing receipts or tickets to customers.

About Lowell General

For more than 125 years, Lowell General has served the Greater Lowell community with pride. We balance the first-rate care of a premier medical center with the warmth of a three-time Magnet®-recognized community hospital. As a member of our team, you'll join over 3,000 dedicated care providers to offer complete, connected care, when and where patients need it most.

Magnet Designation

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) honored Lowell General Hospital with Magnet Recognition for excellence in nursing care, our fourth designation achieved in March 2025! The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes healthcare organizations dedicated to nursing excellence, professionalism, and patient-focused care. It is the highest level of recognition an organization can receive for providing the very best quality in patient care. Only nine percent of hospitals in the United States have achieved Magnet status and fewer than one percent of hospitals have achieved a fourth consecutive Magnet designation.

At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day.

The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals.

Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth—one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it.

Pay Range: $17.00 - $19.09