Miami Spice, Hospital Style: The Chefs Making Healthcare Food Better

Episode 25: Hospital food is notorious, but what if it could be something more? That’s the vision behind the food and nutrition team at Jackson Memorial Hospital. On this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we go behind the scenes with Jackson Memorial Hospital’s executive chef, Dalbert Benneth, and Director of Food and Nutrition, Gabriel Lima, to explore how they’re spicing things up to break the stigma on hospital food. The conversation peaks into some of Miami’s hottest restaurants and the high-pressure world of Miami Spice while highlighting the parallels with the kitchens at Jackson West Medical Center and The Ritz-Carlton Luxury Hotels & Resorts. From made-to-order meals and customizable bowls to rethinking traditional hospital menus to match the community’s tastes, check out what it takes to bring a restaurant mindset to a hospital, and why food is an important part of the patient experience. Guest Bios: · Gabriel Lima is the Director of Food and Nutrition at Jackson Memorial Hospital through third-party vendor, Sodexo. With a background in culinary arts and hospitality, Lima worked his way through the hotel industry before bringing his large-scale hospitality experience to healthcare. He started at Jackson West Medical Center and has since transitioned to Jackson Memorial. Lima is helping lead a new vision for hospital dining focused on variety, customization, wellness and changing the stigma surrounding hospital food. · Dalbert Benneth is the Executive Chef at Jackson Memorial Hospital, bringing years of experience in professional kitchens and Miami’s hospitality industry to healthcare dining. He began his culinary career washing dishes and worked his way through the kitchen ranks before moving into leadership roles, including experience at The Ritz-Carlton in South Beach. His restaurant background now informs his approach to creating fresh, customizable and culturally relevant food for patients, staff and visitors.