OhioHealth’s Darren Renz Earns National Recognition for Innovative Work to Improve Sustainability
An OhioHealth leader in nutrition services has received national recognition for his commitment to sustainability. This month, Darren Renz, OhioHealth manager of Nutrition Services, won the Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF) 2024 Sustainability Award.
“This is a very important program and a win for all of OhioHealth,” said Renz. “I’m very grateful for AHF support for everything they provide us.”
The AHF Sustainability Award recognizes those who commit to reducing foodservice waste within their community. Those who work directly with Renz said he takes an innovative and positive approach to his work.
“Darren is really a breath of fresh air,” said Heather Buck, OhioHealth senior system director of Food and Nutrition Services. “That’s because of his tenacity to get this work done, his passion to do his best, and his interest in this work.”
Over the last two years, Renz took the lead on new initiatives to cut down on food waste at OhioHealth. The benefits of that work extend far beyond the walls of the hospitals.
“One of the programs that I am most proud of for sustainability is our implementation of food donation programs,” he said. “Which is very important to give back to the community and those who are in need.”
“Darren took that torch and ran with it, not just from a packaging standpoint, but also a food waste standpoint,” said Niles Gebele, OhioHealth north market director for Food and Nutrition Services. “Darren has a can-do attitude, and Darren is always thinking differently.”
“He is always considering the environmental aspect of all practices and products that we bring in and he is able to do that by reducing waste,” said Terri Scannell, OhioHealth principal advisor on ESG & Sustainability. “He is able to look at other materials and make sure we are utilizing our resources the best way, not only for OhioHealth but for our patients and associates, as well as our community.”
Strategies initiated by Renz have also reduced environmental impact.
“We are now 100% polystyrene free and PFAS free, so all of our care sites have really worked hard on this initiative,” Renz said.
Renz joined OhioHealth two years ago to take the reins in a newly created role. He supports OhioHealth's Marion General Hospital, Hardin Memorial Hospital, and Van Wert Hospital.
“I would really like to thank our senior leader Heather Buck, for trusting me to lead this initiative and for our senior leaders Niles Gebele and Terri Scannell, for really pushing us to be excellent when it comes to our suitability initiatives,” said Renz. “I would also like to thank our operators because they are the ones who must run the programs. They must understand the reasons why we do things.”
To learn more about OhioHealth sustainability efforts, click here.
