Abstract

Army dietitians are leading the way in the Military Health System with innovative thinking and cost efficiencies while simultaneously meeting the demands of their wartime roles. In 1997, senior Army dietitians devised a strategic plan to identify the best practices in foodservices and medical nutrition operations. An integral part of that plan was the Nutrition Care Benchmarking Program. This program enhances customer satisfaction and improves operational efficiencies through cost analysis. It ensures that dietitians are critically reviewing their operations and identifies the most efficient and innovative strategies. Information for the baseline year of 1997 and 1998 was collected on Total Meals Served, Labor Costs Per Meal Served, and Total Costs Per Meal Served. A survey of business practices and initiatives designed to increase cost efficiencies was also conducted. Outcomes shown were: A 7% increase in total meals served while decreasing labor costs by 7%. Business reengineering led to an 11% decrease in total costs per meal, 67% of facilities reduced labor costs through staffing and scheduling changes and 89% of operations increased revenues through innovative programs such as mobile food carts, menu redesign and expansion of the customer base.

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