COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE MORRISON HEALTHCARE TEAM, WHO STRIVE TO BRING MOMENTS OF JOY TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. BY JULIANNE PEPITONE ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S NORTHWEST HOSPITAL: CARING FOR KIDS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE OPERATIONS FOODSERVICE OPERATION OF THE MONTH
W e take care of the little people—and the peo- ple who take care of the little people.” That’s the daily motto for the Morrison Healthcare team providing the foodservice at Arkansas Children’s Hospital North- west, says Food Service Director Megan Herrmann. Because it takes a special person to work at a children’s hospital: to set a toddler up for their third chemothera- py treatment, to dress a child’s painful burn, to comfort young patients’ fam- ilies on what may be the most difficult day of their lives. It takes more than a village. It takes a community. That whole-community spirit is the driving force for Herrmann’s team, who focus on bringing moments of joy to their pediatric patients, nour- ishing the physicians and staff who care for the kids, and inviting in neigh- borhood businesses to participate in special events. “I think it’s important to share the wealth and spread the joy wherever you can,” says Herrmann. “Since we opened, we’ve challenged ourselves to think outside the box, and to bring peo- ple together.” Since Arkansas Children’s North- west’s opening in Springdale in 2018— as the region’s only children’s hospital and only 24/7 pediatric emergency room—the foodservice team has held "
Chef Cody Dodson hands out cookies to patients and learns more about them during "rounds."
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MORRISON HEALTHCARE
FSD QUARTERLY
Q3 2024
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