2025 program
The entry period for our fifteenth annual AHF Awards opens January 2025. You can learn more about the AHF Awards program below; click on “Learn More…” to find out more about each award and it’s unique requirements. Read about the 2024 Award Winners and other past winners at the link above. If you have any questions, please contact AHF Staff – info@healthcarefoodservice.org.
Awards Categories
Lifetime Achievement Award – This award is the Association’s highest honor, recognizing individuals who have made significant and enduring contributions to the field of self-operated healthcare foodservice, demonstrating exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to the core values of AHF. It recognizes operator members who best exemplify the leadership and spirit of Jacques Bloch and Angelo Gagliano the founders of our legacy organizations. Those who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to AHF, the healthcare foodservice profession, their employers, the community, and the embodiment of AHF’s values.
Exemplary Leadership Award – This award will be bestowed upon the operator member who best reflects the commitment to operational excellence that Don Marsh brought to healthcare foodservice. Don Marsh, former president of the American Society for Healthcare Food Service Administrators (ASHFSA), was a longtime supporter of programs to raise professionalism of operators in the healthcare foodservice industry and was known to contribute generously in these areas. The award recognizes exemplary member contributions in their operations as well as to regional, local chapters or networking meetings.
Future Horizon Award – This award recognizes self-operator members with 1-5 years of management experience who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and the ability to implement strategic plans that positively impact their hospital and community.
Partnership in Leadership Award – This award recognizes an operator and an administrator (non-foodservice) who have demonstrated a strong commitment to nutritional food service by self-operation and currently support the foodservice director or foodservice administrative director. This award celebrates the power of collaboration and the impact that can be achieved when two individuals work together to improve patient care and outcomes.
NEW! Impact & Innovation Award – This award recognizes exceptional operators who push boundaries and drive industry progress, showcasing the transformative power of innovation in self-operated healthcare foodservice. This may include sustainability and environmental initiatives, technology advancements, driving positive local impact, exemplary data utilization, creative ideas, groundbreaking projects, and an unwavering dedication to promoting self-operated foodservice excellence.
notes & Rules
- – This competition is open only to self-operated healthcare foodservice facilities/AHF Operator Members.
- – A nominee may only win in ONE category. Please select the category that best aligns with your nomination. Multiple submissions of a single project in multiple categories are discouraged.
- – Our Awards Committee compare the criteria outlined on the submission pages to the actual submissions. Directly address the questions to improve your odds of placing.
- – The Awards Committee are free to reject any entry that does not meet basic criteria outlined on the submissions page. The Awards Committee may also choose to move an entry from one category to another if they feel it’s a better fit.
- – Judging will occur in April and the award winners will be notified via email.
- – Award winners will be highlighted at our Annual Conference and featured in the 2026 issues of SO Connected.