25-year Food Service Veteran Returns Food Variety, “Flair” to Hospital Patient Pallets

(NORFOLK, VA – April 11, 2016) Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital welcomes Denise DePass, M.S., CDN, as its new Food Service Director. DePass brings over 25 years’ experience in the food service industry.

DePass, a licensed NHA and dietician by trade, started her new responsibilities in December 2015 and has already made her mark on the Hospital’s feeding operations through preparation changes, employee training and management strategies which have greatly improved patient feedback in just under eight weeks.

“My goal every day is to prepare good tasting, quality meals that adhere to our regulatory standards and meet patient expectations,” DePass said. “And every day I hope to surpass those goals by paying attention to the culinary ‘flair’ aspect of the food.”

“When we enhance the visual quality of food, we enhance its perception by the diner,” DePass said. “It’s true that we taste with our eyes.”

DePass comes to Lake Taylor most recently from the First Colonial Inn in Virginia Beach. Prior to that, she spent eight years in various customer service capacities with ARAMARK in senior living facilities in Northern Virginia, leaving in 2006 while directing food service at Arlington VA Hospital Center. Before that, DePass began her career in skilled nursing facilities in her hometown New York City area.

“Producing more than 1,000 good tasting, appetizing and appealing meals that are appropriate for as many as nine different diet formats every meal, every day is a tall order,” said Thomas Orsini, president and CEO of Lake Taylor. “Our patients, as well as our staff, volunteers and visitors, welcome Denise warmly and wish her much success.”

Lake Taylor and ARAMARK are preparing for a complete cafeteria renovation in 2016.