Parkview Medical Center
has earned the Joint Commission's
Gold Seal of Approval.
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Parkview Nutrition Services gives a personal touch Parkview Nutrition Services has recently implemented a new concept known as the
Spoken Menu Program
PUEBLO, Colo. (March 4, 2008)--- Imagine being responsible for preparing over half a million meals per year. Now imagine that, of the people who will be eating those meals, a fairly large number are diabetic, some have food allergies, some are on low salt diets and most have a very particular palette.
This is the challenge that the staff of the Nutrition Services Department at Parkview Medical Center takes on each day, seven days a week- 365 days a year. Adding to this challenge is the fact that the number of hospital patients served and even their special diet needs are known to change from minute-to-minute in the course of a typical day. Even with these challenges, this talented and professional team is able to serve consistently high quality meals to all their customers with selections ranging daily from Prime Rib and Cheeseburgers to Fried Catfish and Chicken Enchiladas, not to mention everyone’s favorite “get well” food, homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
To improve communication with the hospital patients, Parkview Nutrition Services has recently implemented a new concept known as the Spoken Menu Program. This program enhances customer service by providing a dedicated employee known as a “Personal Meal Assistant” who visits the patients at their bedside shortly before each meal. During this visit, the various menu choices are described and the patient is encouraged to select the foods that suit them best. Since patients often have poor appetites due to illness, the Meal Assistant may also offer alternate “comfort food” items to entice the patient to eat and speed the recovery process.
Each day, six Meal Assistants are assigned to work with approximately 35 patients each. The assistants are scheduled for an 11-hour shift to allow patients to communicate with only one person for all three meals. The specific menu choices that are available for each patient are accessed in the hospital room via a small laptop computer that connects to Parkview’s wireless network. As soon as the food choices are recorded, they can be accessed in the production kitchen to allow for timely preparation of all meals.
During the meal service period, Meal Assistants monitor the assembly of each tray and then personally deliver the meals to their assigned patients. “This process helps cultivate a personal relationship with each patient and it is that personal connection that makes the difference,” explained Rosalie Glenn, Parkview Director of Nutrition Services. “If the patient requires any additional items or adjustments to their meal, the Meal Assistant can remedy the situation immediately.” The Personal Meal Assistants also provide each patient with a business card that lists a pager number where they can be contacted at any time with questions or additional requests. According to Glenn, patients have been “delighted” with the new service and “food waste has been reduced now that the patients better understands the menu and their options.”
In addition to patient meals, Parkview Nutrition Services Department also provides all foods to the hospital cafeteria and coffee shop as well as various catered functions and all vending machine items throughout the hospital.
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