Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Food Service Manual for Health Care Institutions
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Shared Professional and Managerial Expertise
The sharing of professional and managerial expertise is of major importance to small and rural
hospitals and extended care facilities. The opportunity to use the services of highly trained personnel
on a part-time basis allows a health care institution to provide patient services that it
otherwise could not afford to offer. Although large hospitals seldom share dietetic and other
professional food service personnel among themselves, these institutions sometimes do so with
small institutions. Usually, fees for this service are paid directly to the large hospital, which pays
the shared personnel their salary, with additional compensation for travel when necessary. The
shared personnel usually are required to submit reports to the administrators of both institutions,
to meet accreditation requirements, and to evaluate the shared program.
Shared managerial services are similar to shared professional personnel services. Management
services that can be shared include meal planning, financial record keeping, data processing for
food service functions, payroll operations, in-service training and education, and policies and procedures
planning.
Shared Food Purchasing and Production
Shared food-purchasing systems are the most common of the shared services. Standardized and
least-perishable items are most often purchased through shared systems, but dairy products,
frozen meat, poultry, fish, frozen entrees, and nonfood supplies are also frequently available.
Agreement on product specifications among participating institutions is essential in attaining
the greatest cost savings in shared purchasing arrangements. Shared food purchasing also
implies sharing ideas about food quality, processing techniques, consumer acceptance data, and
reliable information on new products. Management time is saved in shared purchasing arrangements
because the buyer in the participating institution does not have to negotiate prices or see
as many vendors, a benefit discussed further in Chapter 17.
Shared food production systems are feasible, provided a comprehensive planning and evaluation
procedure is used in the developmental stages. Food service managers and CEOs of the
institutions involved must agree on long-range goals in level of service, quality, nutrition counseling,
bacteriological control, menu variety, and flexibility of the system in the face of changing
circumstances.
The decision of whether to enter a shared production system or to maintain independent
status should be documented. One method of documentation is to survey patients, medical
staff, employees, and outpatients about availability, quality, and level of service currently being
provided or desired. Opportunities for sharing often involve a shift to different systems of food
production and service. Careful consideration of the food service systems will help identify the
strengths and weaknesses of the present or proposed system. Data to be collected include
capital investment requirements, operating costs, quality and comprehensiveness of services,
acceptability of services to client groups, and legal considerations such as taxes and contracts.
Multidepartments and Multifacilities
In an effort to flatten organizations, a facility may opt for multidepartment management,
which has food service directors responsible for the management of more than one department
within an organization, such as housekeeping, grounds, laundry, or other service departments.
Another possibility is that food service directors may be required to provide management services
to more than one facility within a corporation. For example, separate departments for
dietetic education programs, wellness, weight management, or community education could be
incorporated into a food service director’s responsibilities in a large facility. A multifacility corporation
that has a number of hospitals or extended care institutions may require a food service
director to oversee more than one of the corporation’s units. These services may include the
shared management services mentioned earlier.