Aramark CorporationAramark Healthcare+ is best known for its best-in-class food, environmental (EVS), and facilities management services at hundreds of healthcare facilities in the contiguous United States. A lesser-known component of the business is the work it does in one of the remote places in the world, Alaska.
The business embarked on a remarkable journey in the U.S. state in 2022, partnering with the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). This partnership marked the first Alaskan venture for Aramark Healthcare+, where it took on the responsibility of managing food services, EVS, and laundry services across various SEARHC facilities.
In Sitka and Wrangell, Aramark Healthcare+ provides comprehensive services at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital and Wrangell Medical Center Hospital, in addition to other locations that provide long term care, patient housing, a hotel for construction workers, and more. In Juneau, Aramark supports SEARHC’s corporate offices, dental clinics, outpatient clinics, and behavioral health facilities, and will be launching a new catering service in fall 2024.
Aramark’s size, scope, and expertise have made them an invaluable partner to the SEARHC network
The partnership extends to ten remote villages, most accessible only by seaplane or floater plane, where Aramark Healthcare+ provides essential EVS services. Highly trained non-clinical staff clean and disinfect patient exam rooms, medical equipment, and other common areas, playing a vital role in keeping these healthcare facilities safe for patients, visitors, and other staff.
Despite challenges faced because of the remote location, like sourcing fresh ingredients that don’t spoil on the long journey from Seattle via barges, Aramark Healthcare+ works through tough situations and remains committed to the community, understanding and respecting tribal culture and traditions.
Aramark Healthcare+ provides exceptional services to patients and community members across the United States, but what makes its operations in Alaska truly unique is how those services become integral pieces of the community. That community support is needed most during the cold winter months when areas become food deserts. The dining locations Aramark serves quickly become full of community members, not just patients and families seeking care at the facilities. These locations provide a level of care that extends beyond Aramark Healthcare+’s traditional work.
“When the winter season begins and the visitors leave, many shops and restaurants close, so the hospital becomes an essential part of life for year-round residents,” explains Susanne Teso, Aramark Healthcare+ District Manager for its Alaska operations. “Our teams are hardworking and resilient. They don’t let the complications of the weather, or the challenges of our location keep them from ensuring community members have access to nutritious food that’s available for a reasonable price.”
“Aramark’s size, scope, and expertise have made them an invaluable partner to the SEARHC network,” adds Leatha Merculieff, Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at SEARHC. “The level of care and attention to positive patient outcomes exhibited from their staff shows why they are a best-in-class organization. We look forward to working with Aramark on the opening of our newest hospital, Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center (MEMC), which will open in Sitka in 2025.”
Through its vast areas of expertise, Aramark Healthcare+ demonstrates resilience and adaptability, ensuring that people in the most remote communities in Southeast Alaska receive the care and services they need year-round.
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