Working Together to Get the Job Done
We’re using the word “unprecedented” pretty often these days, but the fact is that we’ve been through a lot together at Aramark. Through natural disasters, acts of terror and crises of every description, our company has never failed to be on the front lines of relief and recovery – and the coronavirus is no exception. For a closer look at just one of the many places our associates are working together to help people during the pandemic, we spoke with Mike Esquenazi, resident district manager at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas.
Mike Esquenazi at Baylor University Medical Center in 2016
Mike Esquenazi, photographed at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) in 2016
Mike’s account reflects the rapidly changing conditions at healthcare institutions everywhere. “We’re taking it day by day, hour by hour,” he said. “Information is changing so quickly, but everybody’s adapting and staying ahead to keep everyone safe.”

Mike described highly challenging conditions on the ground; patient census is down, for now, but acuity is way up – there are a lot of very sick patients in our hospitals, and the need for ICU staff, personal protective equipment (PPE), negative pressure rooms, pumps and monitors continues to grow. But thanks to a coordinated team effort between Aramark and our client, plus an outpouring of support from other lines of business, we are rising to the challenge. Our environmental services (EVS) staff are ensuring every surface is sanitary, our dietitians and food service teams are keeping every patient well nourished, and our patient transporters are moving patients throughout the campus safely. We’ve still got hospital employees, patients and visitors to feed, so we’re continuing to operate hospital restaurants, as well as ramping up Mashgin and P.O.D. grab-and-go installations to support social distancing and accommodate variable staffing.
Concierge associate Melissa Padilla screens incoming patients at BSWH Temple Memorial in Temple, Texas
Concierge associate Melissa Padilla screens incoming patients at BSWH Temple Memorial in Temple, Texas
These changes have allowed us to shift many employees to other critically needed activities, primarily patient intake. Several entrances to the BUMC campus have been closed, restricting traffic to nine entrances where everyone entering the hospital must be screened. Staff members from our foodservice, EVS, and patient transport teams have all received the training and PPE they need to help with screening, and filling out the ranks of screeners are Aramark personnel from local Business Dining, K-12 and Higher Education accounts where closures have freed up staffing hours.
These times call for adaptability, problem-solving and above all, cooperation. Our team at Baylor Scott & White, like our teams all over the world, are demonstrating that we’ve got what it takes to get through this. As Mike and his colleagues often say, “We are in it together.”
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