Visit will have lasting impact for hospital’s patient food improvement project

As Chef in The Scarborough Hospital’s General campus Nutrition and Food Services department, Debbie Lennox has spent the majority of her 29-year career making great meals for hundreds of hospital patients each day. But on January 17, Debbie will don her chef’s jacket for a much different experience: a day in the kitchen at the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant Canoe.

“After learning about The Scarborough Hospital’s innovative patient food improvement project ReFRESHing our Menu and the work of their consultant chef Joshna Maharaj in helping to bring the hospital’s new menu to life, I wanted to contribute in any way I could,” said Canoe Chef de Cuisine John Horne.

“Last fall, we were able to provide a tour of the Canoe kitchen for staff from the hospital’s Nutrition and Food Services department. And now, by having Debbie in, I hope to inspire her to learn more from chefs such as Joshna who have dedicated themselves to creating a truly sustainable food system and culture.”

“I am thrilled to be able to spend the day with John and his talented staff,” said Debbie.

“ReFRESHing our Menu is all about offering patients a new menu that is full of home cooked food made with ingredients straight from Ontario farmers.  Fresh, local food is also a priority at Canoe, so I’m sure the experience will provide me with invaluable insights that I can share with our team at the hospital.”

ReFRESHing our Menu will ultimately introduce over 20 new items to the patient menu at the General campus that are cooked from scratch and use local ingredients. In addition, the hospital will be upgrading its kitchen facilities, introducing a new bedside ordering process, and training staff on scratch cooking methodologies. The project is supported in part by a $191,000 grant from the provincial government and the Greenbelt Fund.

Debbie will join the Canoe chefs in the kitchen on January 17 at 10 a.m.  She will spend time at all of the major food preparation areas.

Situated in the most diverse community in Canada, The Scarborough Hospital (TSH) delivers high-quality patient care at two hospital campuses and six satellite sites. The Scarborough Hospital is a regional centre for dialysis and is renowned for its sexual assault care centre and mental health programs. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, TSH is also a referral centre for vascular surgery, pacemakers and cataract surgery.

For more information, please contact:

Julie Dowdie
Communications Officer
Corporate Communications
The Scarborough Hospital
(416) 438-2911 ext. 6770
jdowdie@tsh.to