News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HFM AND PSU TO HOST LEARNING SYMPOSIUM FOR HEALTHCARE FOODSERVICE OPERATORS
HFM partnership with PSU launches intensive educational workshops on
advanced-level management practices to improve hospital operations

New York, NY (March 12, 2007) - The National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management (HFM) and Penn State University (PSU) are hosting a two-day Learning Symposium on advanced-level management practices for on-staff healthcare foodservice professionals and their industry suppliers at the Penn Stater Conference Center, May 7-9.

The 2007 HFM and Penn State University Learning Symposium for Advance Level Practice: Leadership, Labor and Quantitative Decision Making has been designed to respond to the 2007 HFM professional development needs assessment and will be taught by faculty from PSU's Hospitality Leadership Institute (HLI).

The intensive, all-day educational workshops are geared towards high-level senior foodservice operators and will focus on quantitative methods for decision-making, including labor utilization; a systems approach to customer service; and best practices from other segments of the hospitality industry.

Healthcare foodservice operators will gain tactical knowledge to further understand complex operational procedures and better communicate with their administrators.

The symposium will be available to a limited number of HFM operator and associate members and each will receive CEUs for their participation.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our operators and associates to participate in comprehensive educational workshops," said Linda Lafferty, HFM board president and associate director of food and nutrition services at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. "Our partnership with PSU poses a tremendous advantage for our membership and this is just the beginning."

In October, HFM entered into a three-year partnership with Penn State University's Hospitality Leadership Institute (HLI) to offer healthcare foodservice operators access to the most cutting-edge education in the industry.

Over the last few months, HLI's faculty conducted an environmental scan of the healthcare and foodservice industry, identifying the most topical issues and critical matters facing operators and administrators today. Based on the study's findings, HLI was able to develop an education strategic plan proprietary to HFM for identifying Learning Symposiums and a series of live interactive Web-based seminars, called Webinars.

Penn State HLI faculty will also assist in recommending educational topics for four interactive HFM teleconferences, networking meetings, support operational tool advancement and identify speakers for the association's annual conferences.

To register, please visit www.hfm.org.

About HFM:
The National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management (HFM) represents about 2,000 on-staff foodservice professionals at acute, extended and long-term care facilities and suppliers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1988, HFM is the healthcare foodservice industry's leading resource for educational programming, professional development, advocacy and innovative business practices that increase patient and staff satisfaction, decrease costs, and define successful operation performance. HFM also provides a venue for operators and suppliers to build powerful partnerships that can compete successfully in today's fast-changing healthcare environment.

About the Hospitality Leadership Institute at Penn State
The Hospitality Leadership Institute is a unique cooperative effort of Penn State's top ranked School of Hospitality Management and Penn State Management Development Programs and Services. The HLI is externally focused providing management education, applied research, industry best practices and other related services to government, not-for-profit and corporate clients. The Institute includes full-time hospitality faculty members, professional associates, and external subject matter experts who come together to create a unique resource. The HLI at Penn State has a worldwide reputation as a leader in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of knowledge regarding the hospitality industry.

Click here to view the PSU Symposium page

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