Kristina Ray will take over as director of Hospitality at Taylorville Memorial Hospital (TMH) on March 1 as Becky Morrow retires after 45 years of service to Memorial Health.
Ray currently works as manager of Health Information Management, Medical Staff Services and Patient Experience and has been at TMH since 1999. In her new role, she will provide leadership and oversight for Environmental Services, Food Services, Pastoral Care, Volunteer Services teams and Patient Experience.
“Kristina has been a valued member of the TMH team for more than 27 years,” said interim president and CEO Emily Bailey. “Her deep institutional knowledge, commitment to excellence and passion for serving our patients and community will serve her well in this new role.”
Morrow, who will retire on March 7, began her Memorial Health career in 1980 at Springfield Memorial Hospital in the food and nutrition services department. In 2017, she joined TMH as director of Hospitality to help design and operationalize food service in the new hospital. The state-of-the-art kitchen, cafeteria and dining room are conveniently located and offer a modern, welcoming experience for patients, visitors, and colleagues.
Morrow helped plan and execute many key projects at Memorial Health, including a 1997 kitchen renovation and the 2004 conversion to room service dining at Springfield Memorial Hospital, plus the opening of the former Food for Thought Café at the Memorial Learning Center in 2015.
But she points to her time at TMH as a highlight of her career, specifically contributing to the planning of the new kitchen and cafeteria. “While the projects themselves have been rewarding, the relationships built over the years, and finishing my career there has been some of the most meaningful parts of my journey,” she said.