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CURA HOSPITALITY APPOINTS JANET SCHUCH TO DISTRICT MANANGER:

Clinical, Wellness Focus Support Senior Living, Baby Boomer Population

OREFIELD, PA, June 17, 2008 – Cura Hospitality, a highly responsive and innovative dining services and hospitality provider that Enhances Life Around Great Food, is proud to announce the recent appointment of Janet Schuch, MBA, RD, LDN, to district manager of dining, hospitality and clinical nutrition services for Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries’ senior living communities located throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland.

While overseeing dining operations, Ms. Schuch will provide extensive clinical support to Diakon, while focusing on nutritional programs and flexible dining options that complement Diakon’s health and wellness initiatives for seniors and baby boomers interested in maintaining healthy lifestyles.   

Cura already offers several clinical support programs including Enriched Food (supplement-free foods), So-Quenching (adequate hydration), and Puree Creations, real foods that are freshly prepared and attractively served to residents with dysphagia.  

According to Ms. Schuch, recent surveys indicate that residents who are on the Puree Creations meal plan, for example, experience a decrease in weight loss, in some cases to 3%, and overall ranks far below 9%, the national average and clinical indicator for weight loss in long-term care.  “The infrastructure is already in place -- my goal will be to maintain the success of our systems, while ensuring that we meet the nutritional needs and dining flexibility for the next generation of seniors,” says Ms. Schuch.

In addition to clinical support, Ms. Schuch will focus on nutritional programs that complement Diakon’s wellness programs.  “At Luther Crest, for example, we support active residents with customized menus and recommend healthier food choices that enhance strength-building exercise and other fitness routines that they participate in through the community’s Ekstrand Cardio-Theater,” says Ms. Schuch.

With more than 25 years of food and clinical nutrition management experience, Ms. Schuch served in several key clinical operation roles for major healthcare communities and rehabilitation hospitals throughout the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas, where she was responsible for developing and implementing clinical nutrition and patient care programs.

A graduate of the University of Delaware with a bachelor of science degree in dietetics, Ms. Schuch also holds a master’s of business administration, health care systems management degree from DeSales University.