Hotel and Hospitality R&D Innovations to Health(care): Hospitality Bridging Healthcare (H2H)

Hotel and Hospitality R&D Innovations to Health(care): Hospitality Bridging Healthcare (H2H)

By Fred DeMicco, Executive Director and Professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University and Hans Schatz, NAU School of Hotel and Restaurant Management Advisory Board

Introduction

Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food, ascribed to Hippocrates (400 BC), and used to emphasize the importance of food and nutrition to prevent or cure disease.

This article looks at Hotel and Hospitality innovations for healthcare.

Hospital designs have taken inspiration from hotels to increase patient/guest and family expectations and services with innovations coming from the hospitality industry. Hospitality design innovations integrating with existing medical and healthcare include hotel-like rooms and decor; hotels medical campuses; hotel-high quality food, customized room service; dining facilities emulating casual restaurants; warm and inviting hospital lobbies; hotel-inspired guest/patient service training; medical concierges; spas and entertainment.

These Hospitality to Healthcare (H2H) investment decisions must show cost-effectiveness, ROI, and the assurance that medical and clinical healthcare excellence and quality is the top priority.

As hotels make their decisions to become closer partners with healthcare facilities, branding is an important aspect to consider. Today, many healthcare and hospitality (H2H) organizations are looking to strengthen and broaden their brands. It is paramount for forward-thinking leaders, understand that the future belongs to those who can combine the best of hospitality with healthcare delivery to deliver an outstanding Guest/Patient experience. Indeed, the secret of success in the expanding world of opportunity is the mastery of creating the Patient/Guest experience by aligning hospitality and healthcare (H2H).

Food and Beverage R&D Innovation

A new brewed beverage line that CULT Artisan Beverage Company has pioneered for the foodservice marketplace has synergy with healthcare. There is a significant and legitimate need for healthy beverages that are easy to prepare and serve, cost pennies per serving, can be brewed in a commercial tea brewer, and taste good. The CULT Artisan Beverage Company Botanical Infusion line has a strong nexus with healthcare. Created by 100% natural products that had zero caffeine (unlike tea) and zero sugar or chemicals to provide flavoring, but no tea. The product is 100% plant-based ingredients that produce a clean and healthy beverage. The CULT Artisan Beverage Company Botanical beverage provides a healthy alternative to sugary dispensed beverages like sodas, caffeinated beverages like teas and coffees, and chemical-filled beverages like sports and energy drinks and such. It is an exciting new beverage solution for resort spas, golf clubs, and have healthcare operations serving them.

In the healthcare space, Vincere Cancer Center in Scottsdale Arizona claims it is a missing link to cancer treatment due to extreme hydration patients get in treatment and how incredibly hydrating our botanicals are and clean. They can serve them with confidence because they are not full of chemicals and hydrate better than water and their patients see an immediate benefit.

See Dr. Shukla’s testimonial below.

In the era of COVID-19 where we need to be vigilant about so much, the CULT Artisan Beverage Company Botanical Infusions will be a huge benefit for all that serve them and consume them. They are healthy with all-natural ingredients and some even have ingredients like elderberries in the recipe (which are in high demand today as a natural flu fighter). The figure below demonstrates the healthful benefits the botanical infusion.

New technologies and innovative products can keep any industry fresh, and the hospital food service industry is no exception. Medical facilities, both large and small, are embracing technological advancements in food preparation, distribution, and safety. By doing so, they are impacting the health and well-being of their most important customers: the patient/guests.

Trends from Hospitality the Health(care)

The production system that ARAMARK Healthcare uses is designed to manage cost, quality, and nutritional outcomes and is integrated with their room service model, provides a room service approach. Hospitals are redesigning their back-of-the-house kitchen, moving away from the traditional timed assembly system to prepare meals more as a hotel does.

With the hectic pace of the medical industry, speed-scratch cooking is one of the hottest cuisine trends. Speed scratch is, by definition, a system of combining value-added food products with fresh fruits, vegetables, and other components to create unique, signature dishes. Value-added products can be anything from proportioned cuts of meat or other protein to premade sauces to frozen dough products.

Conclusion

Marketers and brand managers in health care need to play an integral role in the future of health care as they discuss alliances with food service and hospitality/hotel companies. Essentially, health-care leaders need to embrace the concept of brand management in a manner that encompasses the totality of the patient/guest experience, created in part by Hospitality Bridging Healthcare – H2H (DeMicco & La Forgia, 2020).

Acknowledgment

This research sponsored by the GloMed.Education website.

References

• DeMicco, F.J. and La Forgia, J. (2020) Hospitality Bridging Healthcare: Career Opportunities for The Future Hotel School Graduate. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. Jul 18. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1096348020940783
• DeMicco, F. J. (2017). Medical Tourism and Wellness: Hospitality Bridging Healthcare (H2H ©). Apple Academic Press- Taylor Francis. London.
• Brand Aid: Destination Medical Center and Hotels Bridging Healthcare (H2h) In Minnesota (Part 2 Mayo Clinic) DeMicco, F., La Forgia, J. (2021)
• https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4101403.html
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23424818/
• https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/072709p28.shtml