PHOTOS: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week
Foodservice workers are the key ingredient in delivering nutrition excellence
Healthcare foodservice workers are integral to the seamless operation of healthcare facilities on a daily basis. Their multifaceted roles include catering meetings, facilitating take-out orders for both staff and visitors, and crafting nutritious and tailored meals for patients from diverse backgrounds and with varying health requirements. They skillfully manage extensive inventories of food required to prepare hundreds and thousands of meals, ensuring that healthcare facilities run smoothly and patients receive the nourishment they need for their recovery.
Thank you for all that you do!
By Brian Bergeron, Director, Environmental Services, Food Services and Facility Appearance
Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week takes place each year during the first full week in October, and honors the professionals who help healthcare employees and patients stay well-nourished and healthy. Here at Cook Children's, we are celebrating with a taste of Mardi Gras, recognizing and honoring staff members who provide services for our patients and employees to help them stay well-nourished.
Our foodservices staff are responsible for managing and operating multiple services within Cook Children’s. Their work is an essential part of the entire healthcare system as they utilize their skills to help fight illness; they are integral in our patients' recovery.
Here are some fun facts about our team.
- The Food Services Department consists of over 125 employees with several different skill sets.
Camelot Court
- What is the No. 1 snack in Camelot Court? The Happy Hour cookie. We have sold 29,695 cookies from January to September 2023.
- What is the newest item in Camelot Court? Self-serve waffles
- What is the number one seller in Camelot Court? 20 oz. drinks. We have sold 78,592 from January to September 2023.
Chick-fil-A
- Which item in Chick-Fil-A has sold the most? Medium waffle fries. We have sold 57, 627 from January to September 2023.
- Do you know how many pickles come on a sandwich? Two perfectly sliced pickles.
Starbucks
- What is the No. 1 seller in Starbucks? Addition of an expresso shot. A whopping 15,837 were added to beverages from January to September 2023
- What is the top selling beverage in Starbucks? Brown sugar oat milk. We have sold 7,453 from January to September 2023
Goodies to Go
- This was birthed out of a serious need for our parents and patients in the Emergency Department and our overnight staff for food. Since the Camelot Court cafeteria closes at 10 p.m. we wanted to have food and snacks available for our employees and guests after those hours.
- Goodies has sold over 11,000 hot dogs this past year and 14,734 bags of popcorn. Year to date, the Goodies to Go team of seven people has served over 224,000 guests with an average transaction per guest of $4 - $5.
Catering
- We have many catering events from October 2022 to September 2023. Also, pre-COVID19, we did approximately 10 – 12 event set ups per day. Although all of the events did not have a complete meal, they still required set up and clean up.
- The Catering team also received the team Peak Performer award in 2021 for above and beyond service.
Room Services
- Staff are responsible for delivering patients' meals to room three times per day. We have served over 500,000 patient and family meals from January 2020 to Sept. 30, 2023.
- Chicken nuggets and fries are our most popular lunch / dinner meal, and we have purchased over 300 cases of chicken nuggets and 350 cases of French fries this calendar year alone.
- Did you know that the average Ambassador takes over 30,000 steps daily?