For the second year in a row, Vanderbilt University Hospital and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt achieved food safety scores above 99 percent.
VUMC contracts with Sodexo to supply food services for The Courtyard Café, Vandy Café in Children’s Hospital and all patient dining. In order to ensure the health and safety of all food products, Sodexo partners with EcoSure, a sanitation company. Once a year an EcoSure representative comes unannounced to both Children’s Hospital and VUH to conduct a health and food safety audit.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to provide our consumers with healthy and safe eating options,” said Jim Graham, administrative director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nutrition Services. “Having our processes inspected helps keep us accountable and assures our consumers that we consider their health and safety of the utmost importance.”
The audit rates vendors on two scales: Food Safety and Health and Safety. Food Safety involves examining the handling of food, ensuring that foods are stored at correct temperatures, that they are cooked properly and that sanitation standards are being followed. Both VUH and Children’s Hospital received scores of 100 percent.
The Health and Safety score primarily examines the personnel; all persons associated with food preparation must complete 12 trainings per year and all managers have to be certified in the safe management of food.
VUH received a score of 100 percent, while Children’s Hospital received a 99.5 percent score.
“We’re extraordinarily pleased to receive these scores for the second year running,” Graham said. “To us, this demonstrates that our employees have followed all protocols set for them and understand the importance of following our food safety guidelines.”
