Sponsored By

CentraState Health System in New Jersey gives recovered coronavirus patients box full of meals

In an effort to assist with recovery and to celebrate being discharged, the hospital’s food service team is creating a box of food and meals to send home with patients.

Becky Schilling, Group Content Director/Editor-in-chief

May 8, 2020

Food as medicine. That’s a concept that hospitals know all too well. But for one New Jersey hospital, it’s taking on a whole new meaning in this new world of COVID-19.

CentraState Health System has seen its fair share of coronavirus patients—at one point, two-thirds of the census was COVID-positive, according to Gary Triolo, director of food and nutrition services. As patients began to be discharged after recovering from the virus, the foodservice team knew it wanted to do something just a little bit special to mark the occasion.

Now, when a COVID-positive patient is discharged, they are surprised with a box of goodies, including meals made by the nutrition team and also supplies to help them with meals for the next couple of days. The hospital is also including a gift card to area restaurants to help with meals.

Needless to say, the box has been a huge hit with the families, who have already been through so much and are extremely grateful for the helping hand (the department has received some truly heartwarming messages of thanks in response).

“We didn’t sign up for this, but we show up,” is how Gary described it to me. Here’s his story:

Do you have a story to tell? Email me at [email protected].

About the Author

Becky Schilling

Becky Schilling

Group Content Director/Editor-in-chief

Becky Schilling is Food Management’s editor-in-chief, and the group content director for Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group, managing editorial for digital, print and events for Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, Food Management and Supermarket News media brands. Becky holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Before joining Food Management in 2014, Becky was with FoodService Director magazine for seven years, the last two as editor-in-chief. Becky is a history nerd and a sports fanatic, especially college football—Gig'em Ags—and tennis. A born and raised Texan, Becky currently resides in New York City.

Becky Schilling’s areas of expertise include the onsite foodservice industry (K-12 schools, colleges and universities, healthcare and B&I), foodservice menus, operational best practices and innovation.

Becky Schilling is a frequent speaker at industry events including The Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF), The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) and The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM).

Becky Schilling’s experience:

Group Content Director, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Feb. 2020-present)

Editor-in-chief Food Management (Nov. 2014-present)

Director of Content Strategy & Optimization, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (March 2019-Feb. 2020)

Editor-in-chief, Supermarket News (April 2019-March 2019)

Executive Editor, Supermarket News (July 2016-April 2017)

Editor-in-chief, FoodService Director magazine (March 2013-Oct. 2014)

Managing Editor (FoodService Director magazine (March 2012-March 2013)

Associate Editor (FoodService Director magazine (Nov. 2007-March 2012)

Contact Becky Schilling at:

[email protected]

@bschilling_FM

https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-schilling-39194ba/

See more from Becky Schilling