July

The Association for Healthcare Foodservice started its transformational journey in late 2023. After 15 years, AHF reimagined its market position, launched a new logo, updated its conference brand, and embraced a refreshed look to represent who we are as a professional association. While our old logo served us well and represented the union of our two legacy organizations, we believe it was time to build on that foundation of one single voice to lead the self-operated foodservice segment. Our new logo conveys the evolution of the bold and impactful professionals we serve – our self-operating members! Our members are problem solvers, innovators, leaders, culinarians, clinicians, and so much more. It is because of our members and what we do as a professional organization we added the tagline: “Leading the Way in Self-Operated Healthcare, Senior Dining & Hospitality!” At AHF, content is king, and we have big things in store for our members as we continue to support and expand the self-operated world. Since rebranding, we have already seen growth of our network, record conference attendance, sold-out sponsorship interest, and the release of new tools and resources. There is more to come as AHF continues to grow and expand its network. The industry is also transforming as it explores new technological advancements, strategic partnerships, capital planning, human-centric care and services, robotics, and so much more. Our industry is experiencing a dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), smart equipment, and innovative platforms that is revolutionizing how we serve our patients, customers, staff, and stakeholders. AHF has become the authoritative voice of the self-operated healthcare foodservice, senior dining and hospitality industry, empowering self-operators to achieve success in caring for their patients, residents, customers, and colleagues. The AHF National Conference is a hub for knowledge sharing, networking, and showcasing industry advancements. The 2024 conference will provide a forum for operators, leaders, and business partners to recharge, gather insights, exchange best practices, embrace the endless possibilities of AI applications, and explore emerging industry trends. We know AHF, and its self-operators, will continue to expand and we hope you will all join us! AHF is a true network working to connect operators, business partners, and industry thought leaders for the benefit of the self-operated world. Join us in San Antonio this August 23-25th. Then be sure to include AHF membership and the AHF 2025 National Conference in your budget. AHF 2025 will take place August 21-23, 2025 in New Orleans, LA. A big thank you to Hospitality News for supporting AHF with this special issue. We hope throughout this issue you will learn about us and start your AHF journey!

Leah Reily , CAE Executive Director Executive Director Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF)

Leisa Bryant, MBA, MA, RD, CPXP, FACHE Executive Director | Food, Nutrition & Patient Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF) Transportation Services MD Anderson Cancer Center

HOSPITALITY NEWS JULY | Page 09