At UCI Health – Orange, formally known as UCI Medical Center, Veronica Breedlove, Senior Director of Culinary and Nutrition with Morrison Healthcare, helped transform a simple Valentine’s Day idea into a campus-wide success. She recognized that busy healthcare staff often lack time to purchase Valentine’s treats. Her solution? Valentine’s grams.
These decorative boxes could be customized and filled with unique treats, delivered directly to recipients on February 14, 2025. The plan proved immensely popular, with approximately 500 boxes distributed across the medical campus.
“It was a hit with nursing and all of the medical staff,” says Morrison Healthcare Resident Regional Director of Operations, Bill Lawhead. “Many managers ordered grams for their entire units. It allowed them to do something for their teams that was really appreciated.”
For $5, co-workers could purchase a Valentine’s Day box featuring several sweet options. Chef Maria Castaneda Morrison Healthcare Executive Chef at UCI Health – Orange, designed cookies, hand-dipped cupcakes, pastries, and other special treats with her team. Morrison’s bakery partner, Matt and Nat Bakery also supported making this special pastry project a success.
“I’m responsible for a large kitchen every day, so I don’t get to create a lot of unique pastries,” Chef Maria says. “When I get the chance to do a large event like this, I enjoy every minute of it. The work is fun, and I like sharing my knowledge with the team.”
Veronica is new to her role as Senior Director of Culinary and Nutrition but working in patient services allowed her to see firsthand how much creating a festive atmosphere means to patients, staff, and visitors at the hospital.
“I have children, and I know what they like. I wanted to create a fun event for staff members and department heads to do something special with their co-workers,” Veronica said.
She and her team created flyers and a QR code making it easy for managers to order grams. They also promoted the event regularly on daily leadership calls to spread the word.
“We didn’t know what the demand would be, but allowing people to order a week or 10 days in advance would let us know how many boxes we would need to produce. We thought this idea would work, but we certainly didn’t anticipate that the demand would be so strong,” she says.
As hundreds of orders rolled in, the team canceled plans to sell the boxes in the café during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Instead, they needed time to ensure each box was completed on time and had a professional look, including attaching individual “Happy Valentine’s Day” tags.
The UCI Health foodservice team is pleased with the event’s outcome and hopes to expand it to the retail café next year.
Veronica notes, “It helped us create a fun and exciting feel within the hospital, while also helping us engage the Nursing team and other departments. Creating those special moments helps make their job a little better and helps brighten the day for hundreds of people.”
