Behind the Scenes @Valley – Meet the FMNS Team

Mai prepares a patient's breakfast.

Meal host Brenda prepares a tray for delivery.

Clarissa prepares sandwiches for the refrigerated cases ahead of the daily lunch rush.

Yasuko hard at work ensuring the kitchen's pots and pans are cleaned and ready for the next shift.

Ranjit readies dishes for the dishwasher.

Rani is a familiar face to Vibes Cafe customers in search of their morning latte.

Duffy prepares a large batch of soup for lunch.

Saras heading out to deliver patients' breakfasts.

Paula prepares a patient breakfast.

Blanca rings up a Trendz patron's purchases.

Legacy Cafe worker Anita gives Pharmacy Supervisor Peter Tran his morning coffee.

Lucring dishes up the daily entree at Trendz.

Cafe Workers Chris and Thanh work the register during the lunch rush.

Warehouse Clerk Ed receives, sorts, stacks, and rotates five pallets of frozen and refrigerated products two times each week.

Milivone prepares to-go salads.

Carol (who has worked at Valley for 41 years) discusses breakfast options with a patient.

Nutrition Rep Aaron reviews an order.

Dietitian Peggy shows new Dietitian Sophie how to use a software program. Peggy has been recognized as an Outstanding Preceptor.

Sharmilla goes through at least three boxes of gloves each day, preparing meals during the weekday breakfast and lunch shifts.

Chi Chi assists a customer at Trendz's Entree Station.

Guy prepares the Exhibition Station's daily salad.

Jaswinder serves a made-to-order sandwich from the Trendz Deli.

Nitaya and Cynthia take a moment to smile for the camera before the busy lunch rush.

What does it take to prepare and serve some 286,000 patient meals per year, as well as thousands of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and espresso drinks for Valley staff and visitors? We stopped in for a visit with the Food Management and Nutrition Services (FMNS) department to watch the team in action.

It only takes a couple steps (and one fashionable hair net) inside the kitchen before you’re immersed in the action. Nutrition reps taking patient orders and arranging the draped service carts so familiar throughout the hospital corridors; cooks preparing cafeteria entrées and made-to-order patient meals; dietetic assistants ensuring that patient nutrition needs are met; dishwashers scrubbing pots and pans in preparation for service; and Ed, the warehouse clerk, delivering a new pallet of fresh vegetables to the industrial-sized refrigerator. Out front, café workers assist hundreds of customers each day, while also making sure that refrigerated cases are stocked and fresh coffee is brewing. In Trendz alone, some 500 breakfasts, 1,000 lunches and 300 dinners are purchased each week day.

FMNS by the Numbers in 2016:

• 110 staff serving Trendz Café, three coffee shops, patient rooms, and catering services for meetings and events
• 20,000 pieces of whole fruit
• 14,000 string cheese
• More than 7,000 pounds of wild, line-caught Coho salmon served
• 37,276 lattes
• 12,600 mochas
• 31,500 breakfast sandwiches prepared and eaten (that’s nearly 90 sandwiches per day!)
• 7,000 gallons (112,000 cups) of drip coffee
• 5,500, 2-pack cage free hard-boiled eggs
• More than 20,000 half-pints of milk served in the café alone (many patient meals include milk)

Thank you to the incredible FMNS team for keeping Valley’s staff, patients, and visitors well fed!

Visiting the hospital? Location and hours for Trendz Cafe, along with Valley’s three coffee shops can be found at valleymed.org.