2020 Foodservice Department of the Year Award – Signature HealthCARE of Erin (Erin, TN)

Signature HealthCARE of Erin earned the 2020 Foodservice Department of the Year award. Signature HealthCARE of Erin (SHC) is a family-based healthcare company that offers services in multiple states across the continuum of care: skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care, home health, cognitive care, and telemedicine.

Signature HealthCARE of Erin’s foodservice department staff strive to maintain effective communication, which makes their day-to-day operations and outcomes a great success. Staff members meet together for daily huddles to communicate areas that impact the team’s responsibilities and the care plan of their elders. Satisfaction survey results showcase SHC’s solid teamwork and continual pursuit of learning.

The department is driven by the direct impact they have on the lives of the elderly through person-centered care. Meal preparation and serving techniques are implemented through newly developed liberalized diets, including restaurant and buffet-style dining options, complete with a salad bar. Short-order menu options are also available to residents throughout the facility and remain a very popular option. The elder residents appreciate and enjoy the home-like environment and innovative techniques SHC provides that impact their overall health and quality of life.

One of the guiding principles of all Signature HealthCARE facilities is the “Sacred Six: Our Creed – Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Positivity, and Patience. “The Sacred Six were drafted based on feedback from our dedicated frontline caregivers who serve others each and every day. As our industry faces difficult times, what sets us apart from our competitors and helps us thrive is the pursuit of radical change and quality of life for all our people. The Sacred Six are essential to Signature’s mission.”

SHC’s foodservice department contributes to the well-being of their residents by offering a large variety of menu options that impact the health and happiness of their residents. Person-centered care is a way of life for both the foodservice department and the elders, and providing a variety of choices, result in healthy and nutritious meals for all residents.

The foodservice team specifically has contributed to the success of the overall operations of SHC by earning deficiency-free surveys, highly rated satisfaction surveys, and highly scored monthly and quarterly audits. Signature HealthCARE of Erin was presented with the ”Go For the Gold 100% Gold Award” from Crandall Corporate Dietitians in 2018 for their Excellence in Food Service. At Signature HealthCARE of Erin, they are proud to be a Five Star rated home and featured on the Eden Registry through Eden Alternative. This facility is the only home in Tennessee to have achieved Eden Milestone 3 – ”Milestone 3 drives empowerment and growth of the entire care partner team while moving decisions into the hands of the care recipients and those working most closely with them.”

Purpose-driven healthcare starts with Signature HealthCARE of Erin.

2020 Foodservice Education Innovator of the Year Award
Passion for Dining and Nutrition

Passion for Dining and Nutrition earned the Foodservice Education Innovator of the Year Award. Passion for Dining and Nutrition (PDN) offers chef and operational services built on 40 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry such as corporate chefs, culinary directors and dietary managers. 

From the desire to reach more communities in need of training, and to serve more guests and families hoping for better food, Passion for Dining and Nutrition was born. Founders of PDN have enhanced foodservice operations through education, technology, and personal involvement. Their mission is to make a difference in the lives of the aging population through the service they provide, the food that they prepare, and the understanding they have of nutrition and the culinary experience in social, emotional, and physical well-being.

PDN launched a seven-course e-Learning series that teaches cooking fundamentals and basic foodservice competencies. These courses include more than 150 lessons, 80 video tutorials that demonstrate cooking techniques, 35 recipes and other helpful tips that have proven to be successful, Food and Nutrition competencies, and Sanitation and Food Safety guidelines.

Other available services offered through PDN include: Quality Improvement, Hands-on Training, Online Training, Menu and Recipes, Event Planning, Interim Management and Operational Consulting.

Through menu development, staff training, and resident engagement, PDN achieves results and exceeds its goals, both signatures of success in their service!