Kirby Medical Center Celebrates Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week

This week is Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week! We want to take a moment to recognize and thank all our foodservice workers for all they do to serve patients, visitors, and employees at Kirby Medical Center.

Our foodservice employees work in KMC’s Apple A Day Café, preparing and serving various menu items to visitors and employees while providing room service for patients admitted to the hospital. These employees are key to delivering balanced and nourishing meals for all who pass through KMC, brightening each guest’s day. Our patients’ treatment and recovery process is greatly impacted by our foodservice workers and their efforts to provide wholesome meals.

We are very grateful for all our foodservice employees and the hard work you put in to give patients, visitors, and employees a positive dining experience. You are an essential part of our KMC family, and all your efforts allow us to serve our community.

Happy Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week!

Keep reading to learn about each of our foodservice staff members, provided by Director of Food Service, Hayley Manion!

Meet Debora. Debora has been a part of FNS for nearly 3 years. She is quite possibly the most caring and honest individual you will ever encounter. Debora’s laughter is infectious and her passion and enthusiasm for helping others is unmatched. She has taught each of us to start every conversation with a “Good Morning” to set the stage for the day.

Meet Cheryl. Cheryl lives by the motto “A happy chef makes happy food” and it shows. She is our energizer Bunny and wants nothing more than to make people smile with the food she creates. Cheryl has her hands on nearly every catering that goes through our doors. Cheryl has been with FNS for 2 years. Cheryl is a talented artist, enjoys hanging out with her family, and riding her Harley!

Meet Wendy. Wendy is full of wit and laughter. Wendy has been with FNS for nearly 2 years. She started as a Food Service Tech and moved on to be our Café 1 associate! Wendy’s favorite part of FNS is her team! In Wendy’s free time, she enjoys relaxing and watching tv with her puppies! She is a HUGE Batman fan!

Meet Kevin, Kevin has been an FNS member for the just over four years! He’s done it all from Cook to Food Service Tech and now operates as our Team Lead. Kevin enjoys being able to provide patients and employees with great food! He has even admitted to enjoying the chaos of a “everything is going wrong” type of day. Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife, and 5 animals! Kevin is always on the hunt for movie and TV recommendations so let him know if you have any!

Meet Carlee. Carlee has been a Kirby Employee for 7 years! In her time at Kirby she has done a little bit of everything, she recently transitioned to our Cold Prep position and is now responsible for all the delicious offerings in the Grab n’ Go! Carlee enjoys getting to know the patients and chatting with customers in the café. Carlee has a beautiful 6-month-old son, Benjamin. Every year in October her family carves around 250 pumpkins for an awesome display! Details to come soon!

​Meet Erin! Erin has done a little bit of everything down her in FNS in her nearly 5 years of service! Her vast experience and knowledge of cooking led her back to Cookside after the birth of her youngest daughter! Erin is the proud mother of two beautiful little girls Ava and Kinsley! Erin enjoys spending time with her husband and girls, cuddling her fur babies, and riding go-karts!

Meet Josephine! Josephine is the face of the Apple a Day Café! She has been everyone’s sounding board, therapist, and personal comedian for the last six and half years. Jo-c enjoys spending time with her family, adventuring with her sister, and shopping on her time off! Need a good Happy hour spot in the area? Hit up Jo-c!

​Meet Tara. Tara is a mother of four and a has two precious grandbabies. Tara has brought so much joy…and sarcasm to the Food Service Team over the last 6 months. Tara knows everyone and enjoys catching up with people and bringing a smile to our patient’s day when delivering their meals. Tara spends her “free” time supporting her twins in their various extra curriculars and spending time with her oldest daughter and her children.

Meet Logan. He’s a runner he’s a track star! Logan has been with us for 7 months and has been named on Press Ganey Surveys numerous times. Logan attended EIU and his attention to detail and raw natural talent led him to pursue art. Logan works part time with Daro Coffee Co. and plans to move to Colorado soon. Although we are incredibly sad to see Logan go, we are excited to see where life and Colorado take him!

Meet Thomas otherwise known as Grant. Grant is wise beyond his years and holds an MBA from the University of Illinois where he studied Agricultural Economics. Grant has traveled the world and landed back home in Monticello while he works out his next venture. Grant plays violin (Fun Fact! He is my husband’s cousin and played 100 years by Five For Fighting on the Violin when I walked down the Aisle!) he also has been trained in Taekwondo and several other martial arts! If you’re traveling abroad and need some destination recommendations I’m sure Grant could point you in the right direction!