Healthcare dining trending: Compass One Healthcare's garden grows staff connection, former Chicago hospital opens as food hall

Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall in the refurbished, 106-year-old Cook County Hospital building features a dozen distinctive stations serving a diverse array of cuisines to staff and visitors in the surrounding healthcare institutions, biotechnology hubs/incubators and a new Hyatt Hotel. 

Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall opened on Aug. 3 with a dozen vendors—nine of them woman and/or minority owned—to serve a customer base composed primarily of staff, guests and visitors to “the largest urban concentration of healthcare institutions, biotechnology hubs and technology-based incubators in the country,” according to the press release announcing the opening and was part of the Cook County Hospital’s $150 million renovation that will also include fully leased medical office space, a daycare center, and the Hyatt properties. 

Returning to simple acts of kindness has been a salve for many people during the pandemic. If you’ve ever had a neighbor who graciously gave you a little plastic bag full of herbs from their garden, you’re familiar with the concept. The Compass One Healthcare team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest in Springdale, Ark., has been tending a garden all summer while tending to the brightening of customers’ day with the harvest.

“We love our little garden,” says Megan Herrmann, director of food and nutrition services. “We don’t use the garden herbs for a lot of café items—we use them more to give away for staff to use at home. They love getting a freebie on Fridays! Our chef also uses our garden items for catering at the hospital.”

See what else was trending in healthcare dining this month.