Transforming Hospital Food: Bringing Home- Style Comfort 


Join Sergio Alonso, Director of Food Services at Lee Memorial Health System, as he shares his expertise on elevating the patient experience through innovative, patient-focused foodservice strategies. Learn how to bring home appeal to patient menus, effectively engage staff and patients in menu development, and secure buy-in for new menu items. Sergio will provide examples from his work at Lee Memorial Health System where he strives to ensure all patients, and their families receive balanced, comforting meals. Gain practical strategies and actionable insights to bring a touch of home into your foodservice operations. 

Learning Objectives: 
  1. Learn strategies to enhance the comfort and home-style appeal of patient menus.
  2. Understand effective methods for engaging staff and patients in menu development and gaining organizational buy-in for new menu items.
  3. Identify how to integrate new menu offerings into existing hospital foodservice operations.
  4. Learn how to evaluate the impact of menu changes on patient satisfaction.
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  • Accreditation: .5 CEU - ANFP (through 12/31/2027)
  • Duration: 30 minutes

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This Coffee Talk is exclusively sponsored and presented by

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MEET THE SPEAKERS:

Sergio Alonso
Golisano Children's Hospital, Lee Health

With three decades of leadership experience across both the hospitality and healthcare sectors, Sergio Alonso brings a strong work ethic, dependability, and a commitment to excellence to every role I undertake. Throughout my career, Sergio has thrived in environments that foster collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement, consistently driving positive outcomes for both teams and organizations.

My journey into healthcare was a natural progression from the restaurant industry, where his passion for the culinary arts led to the transformation of a modest 100-square-foot space into a thriving, scratch-made Bistro. This initiative quadrupled sales and became a standout for both staff and guest dining, demonstrating my ability to apply creativity and leadership in dynamic environments. This experience laid the foundation for his current role, where he strives to elevate both patient care and the quality of café operations.

As Director of Food and Nutrition for one of Southwest Florida’s largest hospital systems, Sergio oversee operations for Golisano Children’s Hospital and HealthPark Medical Center. In addition, he leads six café locations, third-party vendors, and physician lounges, ensuring that all teams align with regulatory, quality, safety, and financial standards to enhance patient experience and drive operational excellence.

Throughout my career, Sergio has been honored with multiple awards, including Key Contributor, Spirit and High Reliability Awards, and the AHF Presidential Service Award. In 2024, he was recognized among the top 5% of leaders for Excellence in Engagement. Sergio’s previous 30 years in hospitality have earned me numerous culinary accolades, including the Taste of the Town Award and recognition for Best Dish by Gulf Coast Magazine.

John Tullbane
General Mills Foodservice
John serves as a Senior National Account Executive in General Mills North American Foodservice business. John is responsible for helping develop General Mills’ healthcare selling strategy and key account success. John is also involved on various healthcare industry association committees, including AHF, ANFP and Senior Dining Association.

Before his current role, John held various leadership positions in General Mills Foodservice and Retail businesses with unique experiences including National Account Sales, Marketing, Promotion Marketing, Channel Development and Sales Operations. John has been with General Mills for 28 years.