Any cook will tell you the secret to a great dish is a careful balance of ingredients and flavours – and that’s exactly what the Food Services team at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (BRHS) cooks up each day.
The team, led by executive chef Laura Akkerman, has won an Excellence in Innovation award from the Victorian department of Health’s Healthy Eating Advisory Service for its clever implementation of the Healthy Choices menu in its cafeteria, kiosk and Emergency Department vending machine.
“The award was presented to Bairnsdale Regional Health Service for their dynamic approach to menu management, including daily updates and creative presentation for staff,” organisers said.
“Their collaboration with a diverse range of retailers, including kiosks and staff menus, showcased their commitment to enhancing food service innovation.”
Healthy Choices, a Victorian Government initiative in all state-run health facilities, rates foods via a traffic light system. The unhealthy “red” category must not make up more than 20 per cent of total food sales. Health services are audited for their compliance.
Laura said she and her team have developed initiatives such as healthy lunch packs, new fresh food options, daily food orders according to availability and providing healthier options for the kiosk.
“When I first started in this job two years ago, I was a bit freaked out by it (Healthy Choices). What do you mean we’ve got an audit about this?” Laura said.
“So I developed a master plan to hit the target, and now it’s never a stress. This is just what we do now. It’s part of our job. It’s so easy and so organised.”
The team uses a food tracker tool supplied through Healthy Choices to perform a
daily food audit to ensure the 20 per cent target is met.
“If we have, say, sausage rolls for morning tea, that might have thrown out my 20 per cent, so my administration officer Laurel Thorpe lets me know and we swap dishes and make sausage rolls another day,” Laura said.
“We’re combating that negative attitude that we’re taking choices away. You can still have hot chips or fried fish. It’s about knowing your ingredients, getting that balance and having variety, and my team has done such a
good job.”
The volunteers from the Kiosk Auxiliary were concerned about a potential loss of revenue under Healthy Choices, but Laura said her team supplies them sandwiches, wraps and lunch packs – healthy and appealing options to sell alongside more traditional kiosk foods.
“I don’t see anything as a barrier. You’ve just got to use your resources. I’ve done two audits now. This year it took me five minutes to prepare. We don’t have to set a date. We’re ready now,” Laura said.
“Of 497 public health services in Victoria, 80 including BRHS comply fully with Healthy Choices.
“The staff-led Positive Health and Employee Wellbeing Committee was also a great support.”
Acting chief executive officer Kathy Kinrade praised the efforts of Laura and the Food Services team to cater for all tastes while delivering nutritious options.
“Laura and the Food Services team does an incredible job every day to provide food and drink options that appeal to a broad range of consumers,” she said.
“This recognition shows that BRHS leads the way in finding solutions that maximise our resources and fulfil our Healthy Choices obligations. Looking for a better way to do things is part of our organisational approach to change.”
This latest award comes six months after BRHS was named one of Victoria’s three best medium-sized health services at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards and the BRHS Aboriginal Health Unit’s win at the 2024 Gippsland Primary Health Award in the “transforming access to care through inclusive practice” category for its Culture at the Heart indigenous cardiac health program.
