Jennifer Eskes is the Director of Food Services with Island Health in British Columbia, where she provides leadership for food service operations across acute care and long-term care sites on Vancouver Island. Based in Nanaimo, Jennifer is a Registered Dietitian with 20 years of experience spanning community nutrition, healthcare operations, professional practice, and food service leadership
Jennifer holds a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia and is a graduate of the Yukon First Nations Dietetic Education Program. Her career began as a community dietitian in rural Yukon, and she later managed the Food and Nutrition Department at Whitehorse General Hospital. In that role, she oversaw the hospital’s Traditional Food Program in partnership with the First Nations Health Program.
She subsequently served as a Professional Practice Coordinator at the University of Saskatchewan before moving into senior healthcare leadership roles. Today, Jennifer leads initiatives focused on enhancing patient and resident food experiences, advancing local food procurement, strengthening partnerships with farmers, producers, and community organizations, and building more sustainable food systems within healthcare. She is also a lead in the implementation of an Indigenous Menu Program for the new Quw’utsun Valley Hospital, working collaboratively with Indigenous partners to incorporate culturally meaningful food offerings into the patient dining experience.
Jennifer values the role food plays in health, healing, culture, and community and is committed to advancing healthcare food systems that support nutrition, environmental sustainability, cultural responsiveness, and regional economic development through strong partnerships and local procurement initiatives.
