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Healthcare Food Service Organizations to Consolidate

NEW YORK — Two healthcare food service organizations are moving forward with plans to consolidate.


Members of the American Society for Healthcare Food Service Administrators and the national Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management voted overwhelmingly to approve the consolidation plans earlier this year.


“The leadership and membership of both ASHFSA and HFM are very excited about the formation of this new organization and are energized by the enhanced, unprecedented and unparalleled opportunities it will provide for our industry,” says Kris Schroeder, president of AHF and administrative director of support services for the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.


A board of directors consisting of equal representation from both organizations’ board of directors and a consolidation task force will lead the association through its first year.


The ASHFSA was founded 40 years ago to provide educational and networking opportunities for food and nutrition service management professionals. HFM was founded in 1988 with many of the same goals.


In other news, HFM announced details of its annual leadership conference, which will be held Aug. 24-28 in Indian Wells, Calif. The conference theme is “Step Up to the Plate.”


“HFM is consolidating with ASHFSA to form one unified organization representing the healthcare food service industry as a whole,” says Bruce Thomas, HFM president and associate vice president of guest services at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa. “But before we [consolidate], we’ve planned a tremendous educational program that is sure to make our final HFM conference a memorable landmark event.”


Highlights include:


• A presentation from nine HFM members who will share success stories about how they reduced expenses with food-waste management, menu redesign and staff retention strategies.


• Roger Dawson, founder of Power Negotiating Institute, will hold a session to help operators improve negotiating skills.


• The annual culinary competition will showcase the skills of five teams of HFM members.


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