Jacques Bloch, founding president of ASHFA (American Society of Hospital Foodservice Administrators) and the only member of the healthcare foodservice community to win the prestigious IFMA Gold Plate Award, passed away September 20 at age 91. Bloch worked in foodservice his entire career, starting out in restaurants and going on to spend 37 years as director of the nutrition department at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
In 1982 he was awarded the coveted Gold Plate Award from IFMA. At the time he said he viewed the award as recognition of change in the healthcare foodservice industry.
"We kept Jacques in mind two years ago when AHF created our lifetime achievement award—the award recognizes members who best exemplify the leadership and spirit of Jacques Bloch and Angelo Gagliano, the founders of our legacy organizations," says current President Patti Oliver of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF).
Those wishing to make a donation in Bloch's memory to the American Ex-Prisoners of War Association can do so here. Bloch had been a prisoner of war during World War II.