Anatomy of an Advanced Scrapping Station and Sustainable Foodservice at ProMedica
When ProMedica Toledo Hospital set out to build the Generations Tower, a 13-story patient building in Toledo, Ohio, conserving water and energy was a priority. “It’s a social responsibility when you’re a large entity in the community. It’s the right thing to do,” says Ron Dorchak, system director, nutrition services for ProMedica Health System. The tower opened in June and includes a main kitchen for patient feeding on the lower level and a servery on the first floor. Systems Design Int’l. (SDI), based in Greenwood Village, Colo., served as the foodservice consulting firm on the project.
Consolidating Warewashing for Efficiency
Along with conserving water and energy as much as possible, the designers also had to make the most of limited space. One way they met both challenges was by creating one advanced scrapping station on the lower level. It processes trays from patients and guests in the servery as well as any wares from the back-of-house. “We thought, why not incorporate warewashing into one general area instead of having multiple scrapping stations, dishmachines and so on spread across different levels?” says Jason Clarke, director of production for SDI. “Consolidating warewashing functions also helps reduce water consumption.”
Key Features of the Scrapping Station
The facility utilizes several high-tech and ergonomic components to streamline operations:
- High-tech control panel: This touchscreen emergency stop control panel shuts the door to the conveyor system shaft in case of fire and displays a video monitoring system.
- Double-sided shelving: This allows runners to unload soiled wares on one side and the employee at the scrapping station to sort through items on the other side.
- Magnetic walls: Located in the water trough conveyor, these reduce the risk of losing stray silverware.
- Retractable hose reels: SDI mounted these on the ceiling so they stay out of the way and do not create a tripping hazard.
- Water trough conveyor: Employees unload food waste into a trough where it flows into a scrap collector—not a disposer—allowing water to recirculate to reduce consumption.
Operational Environment and Maintenance
Because the hospital’s dishroom is in the basement, SDI specified plenty of LED lighting to create a bright environment where employees can comfortably see while they work. To ensure a safe and clean workspace, the design includes an adequate number of floor drains and floor sloping to prevent standing water. Furthermore, adding stainless wall flashing to the ceiling makes for easy cleaning in areas at high risk for condensation.
| Equipment/Feature | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|
| Low-flow nozzles | Contribute to water conservation |
| Silverware soak bins | Save labor by eliminating individual scrubbing |
| Mobile units with twist waste drains | Make it easy to empty water |
| Scrap collector (recirculating) | Reduces water consumption compared to a disposer |
The Evolution of Healthcare Foodservice
More hospitals and healthcare facilities around the country are adopting the stance of “food as medicine.” Over the past two years, 40% of consumers say their definitions of what’s healthy has changed, according to Technomic’s 2018 Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report. In response, ProMedica recently opened a non-profit grocery store to provide healthy options in a food desert. Healthcare foodservice is also moving toward “stealth health,” which involves sneaking nutrition-rich foods into meals. For example, some programs suggest switching out white sugar with honey or maple syrup, while others use nut butters and applesauce in place of unhealthy fats when baking to help manage cholesterol and protect against heart disease.
