Suffolk County Legislature Names Good Samaritan University Hospital Director of Food & Nutrition Services to Food Policy Council

Members of the Suffolk County Legislature have named Richard Doscher, RD, CDN, director of Nutrition & Food Services at Good Samaritan University Hospital, a member of its Food Policy Council. The mission of the Food Policy Council is to promote the production, distribution and awareness of locally grown food, strengthen and prioritize policies that will improve food access, health and nutrition and enhance the regional food system by utilizing local agriculture, fishing and shellfish acquaculture. Doscher has been an integral member of Good Samaritan’s food insecurity initiative, helping to develop a pilot program for food insecure patients at Good Samaritan and a senior center nutrition program in conjunction with the Town of Islip.

Doscher is dual trained as both a registered dietitian and chef with more than 20 years of combined experience in acute care food and nutrition services and fine dining, restaurant and catering operations. As the director of the Nutrition & Food Services Department at Good Samaritan, he manages the overall food service for both inpatients as well as visitors, overseeing a talented staff who implement seasonal menu changes and new recipes based on industry trends and seasonal ingredients that best serve patients and their nutritional needs. As a member of Catholic Health’s Food Insecurity Team, Doscher implements strategies in which patients are screened for food insecurities using an evidence-based screening tool and assists in connecting patients with local and federal resources, while providing non-perishable foods upon discharge.

Doscher resides in Selden with his wife and three children.