At the Heart of the Kitchen: Where Hospitality Becomes Healing

At HHS Culinary and Nutrition Services (CNS), care begins in the kitchen.

Every hospital has a kitchen. But not every kitchen has heart. Long before a tray reaches a patient, the kitchen is where our teams connect, train, adapt, and show up for one another and for the people they serve.

You can see it in the details: hot food delivered with a warm smile, menus that reflect regional flavor, teammates stepping in to help one another grow. Our kitchens may look different in every facility, but they share one goal: to elevate the patient experience through hospitality that heals.

Hospitality Is Care

In healthcare, outcomes matter. But so does the experience.

Food plays a powerful role in recovery. Nutrition has been shown to promote healing, and we take pride in creating dishes that provide the nutrition our patients need and the flavor they crave. We seize every opportunity to help our patients feel seen and comfortable.

That’s why our team members don’t see themselves as just kitchen staff. They’re part of the care team. Simple, everyday actions take on new importance. Every meal they plate, every smile they give is an act of service. A chance to build trust, affirm dignity, and make a connection.

We don’t treat hospitality and healthcare as separate disciplines. To us, they’re deeply linked. This belief shapes how we recruit, how we train, and how we operate.

A Culture Built to Last

The kitchen culture at HHS CNS wasn’t built overnight. It was shaped by people who believed that food service could be more than a department.

One of those voices is Keith O’Neill, who led the creation of HHS’ CNS division. Keith helped establish many of the values that still guide our teams today: humility, consistency, and a fierce belief in treating people right.

We treate people how they want to be treated.

- Keith O'Neill

While Keith’s role has evolved, his impact hasn’t faded. You can feel it in the way our chefs mentor new team members, in our approach to quality, and in our belief that food can be a source of comfort and healing in healthcare.

Today, that same spirit lives on in every dish we serve, and in the leadership of Amanda May-Smith, who is shaping the next chapter with the same heart and conviction.

Real Food, Real Leadership

“We’re a chef-led company. That’s our foundation. But our backbone is the patient experience.”

Amanda May-Smith, President of HHS CNS, brings a bold, grounded vision to the future of hospital dining. Her leadership is shaped by years in operations and a deep commitment to making foodservice both human and exceptional.

Amanda doesn’t just lead from the sidelines. She visits kitchens, mentors staff, and gets her hands dirty, whether cooking, cleaning, or working alongside our teams. Her belief in servant leadership, community-rooted care, and sustainability shapes how we show up every day.

“We’re where creative minds want to be,” Amanda says. “We’re building something that chefs can believe in and patients can feel.”

That belief drives how we operate. We reject the notion that hospital food can’t compete with restaurants. Our patients deserve a plate worthy of gracing any table.

What Happens Next Starts Here

We also believe the best teams never stop improving. That’s why we’ll always invest in the people behind the plate, and in kitchens that feel like the soul of the hospital.

Through partnerships with institutions like Escoffier, Rouxbe, and Southwest University, we give our team members the space and tools they need to grow their skills and careers.

We’re also working on new ways to support our culinary teams, focusing on chef-led innovation, local sustainability, and long-term impact.

We can’t announce anything today. But something is coming. And it’s grounded in the same culture of care that brought us here.

Curious what’s next?

Follow our journey or get in touch if you’re ready to bring hospitality back to the heart of healthcare.