Advancing Innovation and Sustainability in Healthcare Food Services

About

Name	Penny Pang
Title	Project Manager
Company	Vancouver Coastal Health
Grad year	2016
Program	Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health

October 24, 2024 – As a Project Manager with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Penny Pang is dedicated to transforming hospital food services to better support patient care. From sourcing ingredients to meal preparation and delivery, she is committed to continuously adapting services to meet evolving needs.

During her time in the Food, Nutrition and Health (FNH) program, Penny was particularly drawn to the nutrition courses and understanding how food affects our health. Today, she uses this knowledge in her healthcare role, where she sees firsthand how nutrition is essential to a patient’s recovery journey.

Additionally, she attributes much of her career development to the strong network of colleagues she gained through FNH. The supportive community has been instrumental in enhancing Penny’s skills in communication, networking, and fostering a sense of belonging.

Penny shares some highlights of her job as a Project Manager:

Improving the efficiency of food services

“As a strategic projects team member, my primary focus is enhancing the efficiency of VCH Food Services. This involves a range of initiatives, such as implementing advanced technologies for on-demand food ordering, which improves service speed and accuracy. Additionally, I contribute to the redevelopment of kitchen models to ensure they are adaptable to new technological systems and operational demands, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and innovation in food services!”

Advancing planetary health

“VCH is dedicated to advancing Planetary Health through a plant-forward strategy, which significantly benefits both environmental sustainability and public health. I am involved in transitioning our food services to a more eco-friendly approach by replacing high-emission dishes with plant-based and low-emission alternatives. This includes sourcing local and sustainable products to reduce our carbon footprint. We are also working on developing other resources for staff that promote these changes, supporting their understanding and implementation of plant-forward practices in their daily work.”

Implementing innovative healthcare technologies

“A key aspect of my role is advancing VCH Food Services to keep pace with emerging healthcare technologies. This involves working with teams to design and implement new kitchen models tailored for the latest hospital developments and integrating innovative care models. We work toward a goal for patients to receive optimal food services, with an emphasis on improving nutrition, enhancing food choices, and increasing patient autonomy.”