The (Albany, N.Y.) Business Review writes that “hospital food has come a long way from the days of meatloaf and Jell-O.”
They got that right.
At least four hospitals in Wichita — Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wesley Medical Center, Galichia Heart Hospital and Kansas Spine Hospital — have hired trained, if not renowned, chefs to beef up their nutritional services divisions in the past few years.
This from a 2007 story in The Eagle:
Lebanese chef George Youssef is expanding his Mediterranean flair beyond his popular Nouvelle Cafe in east Wichita. At the urging of several physicians who often eat lunch there, Youssef now finds himself spicing up the routine fare in the cafeteria at nearby Galichia Heart Hospital, transforming the ordinary into attractive, healthy cuisine.
and
Via Christi Regional Medical Center’s executive chef, Linda Wenman, for example, trained in London. As part of her education, she once cooked for Prince Charles, hospital officials said.
Since hiring her in 1992, Via Christi has won numerous national awards, including the 2004 Silver Plate award from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and the 2005 Ivy Award, given by Restaurants and Institutions Magazine.
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