MenuDirections 2012: Lisette Coston Named FSD of the Year

Lisette Coston, director of nutrition and food service at the 912-bed Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Okla., was named 2011 FSD of the Year. Coston was honored at the 2012 MenuDirections conference in Charleston, S.C.

"It is a wonderful honor to receive this award," Coston said when accepting her award. "I want to thank FoodService Director magazine as well as Hormel for sponsoring FSD of the Month. It is something that everyone looks forward to reading. For that, it is an extreme honor and I really appreciate it."

Coston has been with the system for 24 years, the past 13 as director. Under Coston’s direction the foodservice department has expanded greatly as the system has acquired and opened new facilities.

In addition to the expansion, Coston changed most of the system to a patient room service model. At the system’s psychiatric hospital, foodservice was changed from cook-chill to bulk congregate feeding and chef-prepared meals to increase patient satisfaction at that location.

Coston also started Panda Meals, a program that provides parents of children in the hospital free lunch Monday through Friday.

On the retail side, Coston has opened three new locations since 2008, which have increased revenue.

David Wagner, vice president of support services and facilities management for the system, said tenacity was Coston’s greatest attribute. “She doesn’t give up easily,” he said. “If she runs into a challenge she will stay hold of what the original concept was and she finds a way to make things work. She works in a very positive way. I’ve always appreciated that she doesn’t come up to the first no or roadblock and say, “I can’t do that.’”

Related:Lisette Coston: Expertise in Expansion

The FSD of the Year is selected by members of FoodService Director, the advisory board and the previous years’ FSDs of the Month. Watch Coston accept her award: