ANFP Marketplace Publication

Persistent labor shortages in healthcare dietary departments create significant risks to food safety, sanitation, compliance, staff well-being, and patient care. Without an emergency plan, shortages can lead to improper warewashing, unsafe food storage, allergen errors, and staff burnout — all of which compromise both client safety and regulatory compliance. By developing a written, tiered emergency plan, Foodservice Directors can clearly define thresholds for action, outline safety priorities, and communicate realistic service limitations to administration. This proactive approach not only protects patients and staff, but also reduces liability, strengthens compliance, and demonstrates the essential role foodservice plays in healthcare. Bottom line: An emergency plan transforms a labor shortage from a crisis into a managed risk, ensuring that safety, quality, and compliance are maintained even under challenging circumstances.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the major safety hazards that arise during persistent staff shortages in healthcare dietary departments (e.g., sanitation lapses, allergen risks, improper storage, staff burnout).
• Explain why untrained personnel (e.g., CNAs, unit staff) should not be used in foodservice roles and the liability this creates.
• Recognize the compliance and regulatory risks associated with labor shortages, including food safety violations, survey deficiencies, and documentation lapses.
• Describe the 3-tier strategy for defining thresholds of action during labor shortages and the corresponding adjustments to service.
• Evaluate strategies that mitigate risk during shortages, such as contract labor, use of disposables, limited service hours, and prioritization of essential functions.
• Summarize the importance of having a written emergency plan to protect client safety, staff well-being, and organizational compliance.

All webinars are non-refundable. CE credit will be given upon successful completion of all required areas of the webinar including the quiz and evaluation form.

This course is a level II continuing competence.
View continuing competence level descriptions here.