A message from Garrett Hoover, Carroll Hospital President and COO:
As president and COO of Carroll Hospital, we strive to ensure patients have a comfortable and enjoyable stay when they are in our care. It’s part of our mission to enhance the patient experience. Every member of our hospital team plays an important role in this mission because they all touch patients’ lives in different ways, from providers and nurses who are responsible for patients’ medical care to maintenance workers and housekeeping staff who make sure patients’ rooms are safe and clean. In this blog, we spotlight how our food services staff is working to further enhance the patient experience.
To ensure a positive and high quality dining experience for patients, Carroll Hospital’s Food and Nutrition department has upgraded its patient service tray line equipment and adjusted its offerings to create meals that maintain food quality.
“We’ve purchased a new Aladdin Heat-on-Demand system that provides extended hot food holding while maintaining high quality food. The system keeps food at or above 140 degrees for approximately 85 minutes after activation,” says Bruce Rubino, director of food services.
Not only will the food patients receive remain hotter longer, it also will be served on new trays with a sapphire blue dome that will enhance their dining experience.
And more changes are on the way. According to Rubino, food services team members are consistently creating new entrees and adding “fan favorites” to patients’ menu options.
“Our goal is to provide patients with a healthy restaurant patient experience with appreciation for homestyle cuisine,” he says. “We like to say we provide restaurant-inspired food with new recipes created all the time.”
While COVID-19 safety precautions remain in place, nurses will continue to bring meals directly to patients inside their rooms. However, when restrictions loosen, patients can look forward to a food services host delivering them meals to enhance the patient’s experience at the hospital.
“Our department staff has always received high scores when it comes to our courtesy and that’s because our hosts do more than just deliver food, they provide companionship,” says Rubino. “They are someone patients can talk to and help them through their day, in addition to the care our nurses provide.”
Look for the Food and Nutrition department’s changes to be implemented in mid-June.
