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In nursing home and rehabilitation communities, dietary teams play an essential role in the quality of life of the residents they serve. Each day, the dietary departments work to plan and prep weekly meals for the residents in their communities.

Tremont Health & Rehabilitation Center in Tremont, Pennsylvania has a food service team dedicated to making a difference. Mim Herring, the Food Service Director, leads the dietary team at Tremont to help them achieve their goals of serving fresh and delicious meals.

“We pride ourselves on making things homemade. From macaroni and cheese to coleslaw to roasts, we try to avoid purchasing precooked meals. We also save the broths from our meals and make gravy for the residents to enjoy with other dishes. We are always striving to make homemade dishes for our community,” Herring told us. “We want to deliver a taste of home here.”

We also interviewed two of their cooks: Mary Lambert and Jennifer Krammes – to learn how their team works each day to cook and serve meals.

Tell us about yourself

“In 2003, I started out as an aide,” Krammes explained. “A couple of years into working here, I found that I had a passion for dietary. Now, I’ve been at Tremont Health & Rehabilitation Center for over 20 years.”

“I graduated from a 3 year culinary arts program. I began working here in 2008, and it’s been over ten years now. I work as a cook and aide,” Lambert told us.

“In 1994, I started at Tremont as a Dietary Aide. I’ve been working here for over 29 years. First, I was promoted to chef manager and then went up the ladder. 10 years ago, I took the certified dietary manager course, and now I am a CDM after 14 years,” Herring said.

What is your favorite meal to make for the residents?

“My favorite meal to make for the residents is chicken and dumplings. They absolutely love it!” Lambert said.

“I really enjoy making deep stir fry with pork egg rolls and roast beef. The residents really like this meal,” Krammes said.

How do you work around dietary concerns?

Herring explained, “We have a sheet for all of our residents. We keep special toasters for those who are gluten free to avoid contaminating everything for the residents. Whenever we get a new resident, we will get a heads up at least two days in advance if someone has certain needs. Our team works to follow the sheets, and we always provide alternative meals that these residents can enjoy.”

What are some special events where you’ve made food items for the residents?

The Tremont team told us about a few special food items that they prepare for the residents each year.

There is always a big pork roast in May. At this event, they serve a pork roast and beans. This is a tradition the residents are always excited to enjoy.

Once a month, the Tremont team will serve a special breakfast menu to the residents. The menu usually includes pancakes, sausage, and eggs. When this breakfast event occurs, the residents will sit and watch the food being cooked with their own eyes.

Around the holidays, Tremont Health & Rehabilitation Center will invite the residents and their families for a Christmas meal. The families will get to enjoy food in a beautifully decorated dining room.

What is your favorite part about your job?

“My favorite part about the job is making the residents happy!” Krammes said. “I love it when they give me feedback and tell me what they enjoyed. I also really enjoy making the bread for our residents.”

“I like making sweet desserts for the residents because I love sweets! Bread pudding is one of our best treats. I also enjoy baking, and have made some cranberry treats,” Lambert shared.

“I like getting to know the residents as individuals. They will share their food preferences and what they enjoy,” Herring said. “You really get to meet and interact with people in this job.”

Can you tell us about the Port of Call program?

The Port of Call program is where the residents will visit the culture of a different city or country each month. They will have a meal centered around the destination, as well as enjoy fun activities and games.

“At Tremont Health & Rehabilitation Center, I enjoy watching the cooks put together our Port of Call program. We always have something different to offer, and it widens the horizons of our residents,” Herring said.

What is one thing most people do not know about working in the food industry?

“Many people don’t realize how time consuming our roles truly are at Tremont. We always make meals that are mostly homemade, and always put extra time into them,” Herring said.

What nutritional advice would you give someone?

“You should still enjoy life and eat what you like. The key is to do it in moderation. Life is too short to completely give up foods that you enjoy,” Herring said.

We appreciate our Healthcare Food Service Workers

Here at Saber Healthcare, we recognize the hard work and dedication our healthcare food service team at Tremont and other communities put into prepping and serving meals for our residents. Our teams work hard to meet all of the resident nutritional goals while making food that tastes great.

To apply for one of our many dietary positions, check out our careers page.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long-term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.