Meet the dedicated Food Services team working around the clock to deliver nutritious meals to countless QEII patients, staff, and visitors each day.
After nearly two decades of service to the QEII community, A/Food Services Manager Letitia Green says it’s the team’s patient-centred approach that underpins their success in and out of the kitchen.
“The one thing I’ve learned about this team is that when anything happens, we all jump in and do the best we can, because we all wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the patient. We are patient-focused in everything we do, and that’s how it’s always been in the 19 years I’ve been here,” she said.
“The way the team talk to each other and how they treat each other is very respectful. They’re a great team to work with.”
At the heart of the operation is a unified vision to deliver forward-thinking fresh food solutions to QEII’s growing community, from ward service to ED to retail.
As major renovations and unprecedented weather events unfolded, the unit faced every new challenge with exemplary resilience and teamwork, while nine team members gave up time at home to join The Great TC Alfred Sleepover and ensure everyone was fed on 7 March.
“Any given day, we come in and we don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s so much change going on here at the moment, but we all still get along and make it work. That’s a credit to us as a smaller hospital, because there’s more communication at every level from retail to HR and Executive,” explained Letitia.
“Of course, when the cyclone came, we just did what we had to do. The highlight of my day is seeing everyone that I work with being happy to be here. Every day I see that, and it makes me smile. People are going to have their bad days, but we get past it pretty fast. When something happens, we deal with it and move on. It’s a great culture in here and you don't always have that.”
Serving over 650 nutritious patient meals each day, the team are introducing a whole new batch of quality and service improvement initiatives to the menu in 2025.
With sustainability front of mind, the team are gearing up for a brand-new kitchen, while staking their claim as the first Metro South facility to implement the CBORD Room Service model, bringing big enhancements to patients, staff and the environment.
“We’re looking forward to having a new kitchen, but we’re really excited about switching to a Room Service model. It’s going to be better for the patients to be able to order what they want, when they want, which reduces food wastage.
“Switching from a cold to a hot plate-up system also improves the nutritional benefit to patients, and makes our work more efficient,” explained Letitia.
Congratulations team, and thank you for leading the way on Food Service improvement initiatives at Metro South Health.