Morrison Healthcare New Partner for Food and Nutritional Services

We all know that a meal can make a big difference in how someone feels. With that in mind, we know that the quality of our Food and Nutritional Services is critical to our team members’ and patients’ overall experience and is directly connected to the quality of our clinical care.

As part of UMMS’ commitment to creating exceptional care and healing opportunities, leaders across the System embarked on a strategic effort to create greater consistency in our Food and Nutritional Services. After a rigorous review process, UMMS selected Morrison Healthcare as our new partner to lead Food and Nutritional Services at all UMMS hospitals. The phased-in transition will begin May 1 and continue through July.

Morrison Healthcare brings 100 years of health care experience to our System and shares our commitment to increase team member engagement and improve patient satisfaction scores. The company serves more than 800 hospitals and health care systems across the country and will implement a retail strategy to help us meet our goals for patient and team member satisfaction and financial sustainability. You can learn more about Morrison Healthcare’s approach to food service in this video.

For our team members, this partnership presents a new and forward-looking model for managers and non-management team members who work in Food and Nutritional Services. All management team members will now be employed by Morrison; most non-management team members will continue to work for UMMS or will have the opportunity to join Morrison. Throughout the transition, we will work closely with Morrison to prevent interruptions in the care and important services we provide and to support all team members who are affected by this change.

The transition to Morrison will take place in phases over the next six months.

Location
UM BWMC
UM SJMC
UM Capital Region
UM Upper Chesapeake
UM Shore Regional
UM Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute
UMMC Downtown Campus
UMMC Midtown Campus
UM Charles Regional

Transition Date
May 1
May 1
May 1
June 1
June 1
June 1
July 1
July 1
July 1

FAQ

What are the benefits of using a single partner for Food and Nutritional Services?

The main advantage of using a single partner for our Food and Nutritional Services is to achieve even greater consistency in quality, service and reporting at all UMMS locations. Partnering with Morrison will help us achieve several goals, including the ability to use technology to improve diet compliance, menu selection and reporting; standardize tracking and reporting across the System; and improve overall quality and financial outcomes. As we make this transition over the next six months, we look forward to sharing our progress toward these goals with you.

Who made this decision?

The decision to transition Food and Nutritional Services to one partner for all of UMMS was made in consultation with an Executive Steering Team comprised of leaders representing each of our hospitals. This team evaluated the current needs and opportunities for improved Food and Nutritional Services across the System, defined new measures of success and thoroughly vetted our vendor proposals. The decision to select a single partner for Food and Nutritional Services was in response to feedback from patients, team members and leadership from across the System and in an effort to streamline UMMS business processes.

What does this mean for team members in Food and Nutritional Services?

It is important for you to know that no team members are expected to lose their jobs as a result of this announcement. Management-level team members currently working for UMMS or another vendor will have the opportunity to transition to Morrison.

Will there be new, healthier, or different food options available to staff?

Yes. Morrison will leverage its culinary expertise to offer new menu items that use fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Morrison also plans to add new signage to “freshen up” food service areas open to the public and dining rooms at each location.

Our food service team works closely with our clinical teams to feed our patients. Will that relationship continue?

Absolutely. It is critical for Morrison team members to collaborate and build trust with the nurses and medical staff to ensure we are all working together to improve the care and wellbeing of patients.

What will change as a result of this partnership?

Morrison Healthcare is committed to excellence and quality in food service for all of UMMS. While the daily work of team members in Food and Nutritional Services will remain largely unchanged, we anticipate that Morrison may make some operational changes in the coming months as they identify opportunities to continue to improve Food and Nutritional Services across the System. Any changes will be mutually agreed upon by both UMMS leadership and Morrison management, and they will be communicated to all team members in advance.

Does this mean that all food at our hospitals will be run by this vendor? What about Subway and places like that?

Morrison will now oversee all Food and Nutritional Services at our hospitals with the exception of the following third-party vendors, who will continue to operate independently in the following locations.

UMMC Downtown Campus
Subway
Au Bon Pain
Great Cookie
Yoyo

UM SJMC
Subway
Coffee Kiosk

UMMC Midtown Campus
Coffee Shop
Mama Ilardo’s

UM Upper Chesapeake
Volunteer Coffee Kiosk
HMH – Nighttime Food Trucks

UM Cap Region
Noble Romans

UM BWMC
City Dock
Chick-fil-A
Food Trucks (California Tortilla)

Will I still get a team member discount at the cafeteria?

Employee discounts are determined by each facility, and we do not anticipate any immediate changes to team member discounts.

Who is Morrison Healthcare?

Morrison Healthcare is a leading national food and nutrition services company exclusively dedicated to serving more than 800 hospitals and health care systems. Morrison uses the Power of Food (see video) to create personalized dining experiences for patients and in their cafés to advance the healing and healthful missions of its clients. Morrison has been serving some of the nation’s largest health systems for more than 65 years and leverages culinary, nutrition, and operational expertise to provide consistency and transform the health care experience. Morrison has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work since 2012 and was named a Top 125 Training Organization by Training Magazine. Glassdoor also named Morrison a 2018 Best Places to Work. Morrison is a Compass One Healthcare operating division within Compass Group and has more than 1,200 registered dietitians, 300 executive chefs, and 21,000 professional food service team members. For more information on Morrison, you can visit www.morrisonhealthcare.com.

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