Let’s Eat

No matter the day’s COVID case counts, there are thousands of people on the University of Utah Health campus—and they are going to get hungry. Figuring out how to offer them food that is nutritious, tastes good, and is delivered safely is the job of a team led by Carissa Christensen, MS, MPH, RD. Christensen has been director of Nutrition Care Services since May 2019 and has been with U of U Health since 2007.

What are the challenges your team has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic?

At the start of the pandemic, we had to close our retail seating areas, package everything we sold in single-serve disposable containers, and ensure our customers were not coming in contact with any self-serve options. We faced alarming supply shortages and had to look at ways to stockpile supplies because of this concern. Currently, our biggest challenge is dealing with the national staffing shortage.

What are the trends in hospital dining?

Folks want more locally and sustainably sourced items, more plant-based options, and compostable food packaging. As an industry, we are trying to be more proactive in the area of food waste. A few years ago, we implemented a Leanpath food waste tracking system, which has really helped us reduce the amount of food that we overproduce, as well as provide us with an idea of how much food is being wasted and why.

What might surprise people to learn about your team?

In one month, we will produce 63,000 patient meals at University of Utah Hospital, conduct more than 90,000 transactions in the cafeteria, and serve over 30,000 Starbucks customers. We have over 100 types of patient diet orders that we must be able to prepare food for, and our NCS teams across the system are often recognized by patients for being able to prepare such high-quality food to meet their complex dietary needs.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the culture of this organization and the people with whom I work. I learn something new every day and am very grateful for the opportunity to lead such a diverse, respectful, and dedicated team. It’s an amazing feeling to know that you are not alone. Our executive director says it best: “One team, one mission.”