Healthcare Caterers International
Institute of Hospitality in HealthCare Limited
History
The Institute of Hospital Catering was born out of the Victorian Hospital Catering Managers Association in August, 1981.
From a small, though active parochial beginning, the Institute has grown from a membership of about 60 to its present size of approximately 500, representing every State and Territory of Australia, and New Zealand.
The Institute changed its name to the Institute of Hospitality in HealthCare in 2000 to reflect its changing membership. Members now include not only Food Service Management Teams, including chefs and supervisors, but also cleaning, environmental & hotel service managers, dietitians, business and corporate directors in health, that have a link to food service management. Aged, community and residential care, in addition to meals on wheels, is also fast becoming an integral part of the IHHC.
In June 2004, the IHHC joined Healthcare Caterers International (HCI). This move was well accepted by our members and industry partners. The alliance with HCI has proved to be beneficial in many ways, including the sharing of information, attendance at conferences, and networking with our international friends.
Membership
The IHHC is a non-profit organisation whose membership is open to persons employed in both the Public and Private hospitals, related healthcare organisations and aged care institutions.
Membership to the IHHC is open to individuals only, and not associations or institutions. The IHHC has several categories of membership including: Full, Provisional, Associate, Licentiate, Affiliate, Network, Life, Fellow and Honorary. Each category is based on qualifications, years in the industry and the position stream the member is employed under.
Each State of Australia has its own State Committee and Chairperson, or, may be represented as a region reporting to a State Committee. The State Committee’s have up to 12 members. The Governing Body is the National Board, which is represented by majority of States, and it is the National Board that the President resides. The National Board has eight members. The Board meets four times a year, and the State branches meet a minimum of 11 months per year. Each State branch has annual elections for positions on the State Committee’s. The National Board elects a President and Secretary every two years. Both structures have executive positions i.e., Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Institute is governed by the Australian Corporations Law, and members are issued with a certificate, and copy of the Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association and By-Laws.
Purpose
The Institute is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in its member’s development, and the professionalism of hospitality services in the health and aged care industries.
This is achieved through regular professional meetings, access to a library, educational seminars (in metropolitan and rural locations), newsletters, and the Annual National Conference.
The Institute offers its expertise to all Government and Statutory organisations seeking advice on any matter relating to food and hospitality services, and thus participates in formulating rules and regulations affecting industry. The Institute has developed a number of documents relevant to the industry, and in some cases, endorsed by Government.