Glen Cove Hospital Food Service Executive Wins Premier Healthcare Alliance Culinary Creations Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lyndon Espiritu, assistant director of Dietary at Glen Cove Hospital in Glen Cove, N.Y., has been named the winner of the Premier healthcare alliance’s 2010 Culinary Creations Award.

“The Culinary Creations Award is an opportunity for Premier’s Foodservice members to honor their peers by selecting who they consider to be top chefs in the healthcare foodservice industry.”

Espiritu was selected by more than 300 of his peers at Premier’s annual Foodservice Forum, held in conjunction with its 2010 Annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition, which drew more than 3,500 hospitals, healthcare systems and supplier attendees to Washington, June 8-11.

Espiritu was among five finalists whose award-nominated dishes were prepared for all Foodservice Forum attendees to enjoy at the annual banquet on June 9. Attendees voted during the meal for their favorite entree, selecting Espiritu’s Peruvian pork tenderloin with avocado chili sauce as the winner.

“We are proud to honor Lyndon and all of the Culinary Creations finalists for providing patients with healthy, delicious, high-quality entrees,” said Debby Kasper, RD, LD, Premier manager of Clinical Nutrition. “The Culinary Creations Award is an opportunity for Premier’s Foodservice members to honor their peers by selecting who they consider to be top chefs in the healthcare foodservice industry.”

“It is an honor to be recognized by Premier and my peers,” said Espiritu. “I love cooking and I appreciate being able to provide tasteful, healthy meals to patients and staff at Glen Cove to help improve the quality of life in our community. I truly enjoyed participating in this event and looking forward to next year’s Culinary Creations contest.”

The four finalists and entrees for the award include:

Todd Buchanan, chef/supervisor at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit for his pan seared Ahi Tuna over citrus cilantro bulgur and vegetable terrine, with a wasabi lime sauce.
Jacob Nystrom, catering cook at Aztec Shops of San Diego State University in San Diego for his Aztec chicken.
Tom Tannozzini, executive chef at Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Pa., for his charred tomato with bean salsa, olive oil, and thyme.
Lisa Risk, cook 1 of Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., for her Three Sisters Fiesta

About the Premier Foodservice Program

The industry’s largest healthcare foodservice purchasing program offers savings to more than 2,300 hospitals and 67,000-plus other healthcare sites across all 50 states.
Members purchase more than $2 billion in foodservice products and supplies.
Premier's clinical nutrition initiatives are guided by a Clinical Nutrition Subcommittee of 18 registered dietitians from across the nation, representing large and small member facilities in urban, rural and suburban areas.
The task force includes foodservice directors, clinical nutrition managers and clinical dietitians.
The program combines sole-source distribution through U.S. Foodservice, aggressive contracts with foodservice manufacturers, industry leading value-added services, and educational opportunities.

About the Premier healthcare alliance, 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient

Premier is a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,300 U.S. hospitals and 67,000-plus other healthcare sites working together to achieve high quality, cost-effective care. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier maintains the nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier works with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier also has offices in San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington. www.premierinc.com