HEALTHCARE TODAY: News and views from the Institute of Hospitality in Healthcare Ltd

New IHHC and Flavour Creations Texture Modified Food Award to be presented at September IHHC National Conference

The IHHC is pleased to announce the inaugural Flavour Creations Texture Modified Food Award to complement its National Awards of Excellence, both of which are to be presented at our annual conference on Thursday 23 September.

The new Texture Modified Food Award recognises quality, excellence and innovation in texture modified meal development, and will be awarded to the best IDDSI Level 4 Pureed dish using Shape It. Details on how to enter can be found on the IHHC website at www.ihhc.org.au.

The presentation of this and our National Awards of Excellence, which recognise commitment to excellence and innovation across the healthcare sector, will be a highlight of the Conference Dinner to be held on the evening of Thursday September 23, the concluding night of the conference which begins on Tuesday September 21 at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The National Awards of Excellence include the Values in Action customer service award, the IHHC Brightest Star award, the Leadership award, the Project of the Year award and the Rosemary Anne Pirie OAM award which is the highest honour the institute can bestow and which is presented as an addition award to one of our national award winners, in recognition of their having gone the extra mile in doing all they can for their patients or residents. 

Following the conference dinner, which will have a ‘roaring twenties’ theme complete with tap dancing, there will be an after-party at the Terrace Bar at the nearby Emporium Hotel, providing an opportunity for everyone to let their hair down in an informal setting.

A further highlight of the Conference will be the inaugural IHHC Culinary Competition which will commence at 5pm on Wednesday September 22 and run into the evening. Entrants can be either individuals or teams and will be challenged to make dishes which could potentially be used in aged care with specified ingredients against a set budget.

As the theme for this year’s conference is ‘The Future Landscape: Expertise for Changing Times’, presentations and speakers have been chosen with that focus in mind.

The program of events will include a focus on acute care and aged care, and feature presentations on sustainability, waste management, cleaning, engaging with gender diverse people, how our changing environment impacts aged care practices, patient centred dietetic care, food safety, allergen management, digitization of support services, robotics and automation and more. 

There will also be plenty of opportunities for everyone to catch up and network after more than 12 months of COVID-restricted contact.

Last issue’s Foodservice Rep column listed the keynote speakers who had been announced at that time and I can now announce two further keynote speakers: Dr Robyn Littlewood, Chief Executive Officer of Health and Wellbeing Queensland who will be speaking on the challenges of recent times, and Dr Mary Hannan-Jones of Queensland University of Technology who will be examining foodservice systems in large hospitals in Australia and asking which features are best for quality and patient-focused outcomes.

Unlike many healthcare conferences which focus on one specific health or support services area, the IHHC conference has a holistic focus, and as such brings together delegates from a variety of health and aged care organisations across a range of positions – from chefs and foodservice managers to dietitians, speech pathologists, environmental services officers and other operational and support service managers.

More details of the conference can be found on the IHHC website and the full program of events will be posted there as soon as it’s finalised in the coming weeks.

Early bird registration is available at a reduced price until the end of June – so you can register to attend now and save. 

Supporter and exhibitor information is also available on the website, and anyone seeking to participate in this capacity should contact the IHHC now, as the limited spaces available are selling out fast. Visit www.ihhc.org.au for more information.

TROY LITZOW
National Vice President IHHC