What is Self-Operated Foodservice?

Within healthcare facilities, there are two types of foodservice operation: self-operated (self-op) and contracted. Our self-operated operations are "in house," meaning the foodservice department is managed by the healthcare facility's own staff. Contracted operations are outsourced, meaning the foodservice department is run by an outside, third-party foodservice management group.

Food and nutrition professionals from operations are facility-run (i.e., self-operated) and their suppliers make up the AHF family of members.

What Kind of Market Share Do Self-Operated Facilities Represent?

Recent estimates show the total healthcare market for food and beverages is approximately $12 billion. Our segment, representing self-operated foodservice professionals, accounts for almost 80 percent of the purchasing.

Why Do Healthcare Executives Value Our Departments?

Because self-operated foodservice departments are run by the facility, we account for greater:

• Cost efficiency (confirmed by benchmarking)
• Customer satisfaction (confirmed by benchmarking)
• Quality control (confirmed by benchmarking)
• Creative control and culinary exploration
• Flexibility
• Consistency
• Employee retention (i.e., more tenured relationships with long-term self-op foodservice employees)
• Employee dedication
• Employee opportunity for career growth within the facility
• Dedication to the hospital culture and policies
• Policies tailored specifically to the facility
• Revenue generation supporting the facility's bottom line

How Do We Support Our Facility's Overall Success?

Simply put, we're able to be more creative and thus more dedicated to the facility's overall success. We tend to be more flexible and innovative. And because we understand the facility's culture, overall mission, and critical success factors, we're better able to support the organization's overall mission and strategic goals.

What's more, the long-term relationships our departments have with our executive leadership and overall team members foster a deep level of commitment and enthusiasm.

Why Should the Public Be Interested in Our Vision?

Food and nutrition is critical to the mission of any healthcare facility. After all, food equals life–and the healthier and more appropriate the diet, the better.

Healthcare self-operators promote this philosophy and further enhance the food experience for patients, visitors and staff by:

OFFERING TOP CUISINE and top honors within the foodservice industry. Several of AHF's members have won Silver Plate and Ivy Awards.

INVITING CREATIVITY. Hiring culinary professionals from renowned culinary institutes and top restaurants allows our member's facilities to create diverse, exciting menu items.

SUPPORTING INNOVATION. We offer culinary and foodservice innovations, such as sushi bars, organic offerings, gourmet menus, and cosmopolitan flavors and dishes.

DRIVING INDUSTRY PARALLELS. We also offer restaurant and hotel-like services, including catering, spoken menu and room service. Kris Schroeder, the 2009-1010 AHF President, was the first operator in the nation to offer room service dining at a facility.

IMPLEMENTING NEW TECHNIQUES. Liberalized Patient Diet programs, for example, allow patients to select their own menus and snack items.

Healthcare foodservice professionals are continually finding ways to improve customer satisfaction, think creatively, focus on innovation, tap into critical tools and resources, and institute best practices to ensure that satisfaction standards are constantly being exceeded.

For more information about self-operated healthcare foodservice, contact AHF headquarters by at info@healthcarefoodservice.org