Cox Monett Hospital in Monett, Mo., has introduced room service to patients, The Monett Times reports.
Patients now receive a restaurant-style menu that includes photos of the dishes and follows a diet specified by their doctor. Family members and visitors are also welcome to order food. Previously, patients had a choice between just two dishes for meals.
In order to keep up with revamped offerings—which total more than 100 items, including sides—the foodservice team also had to renovate its kitchen and other aspects of the program.
"We needed to change the process,” Food Service Supervisor Kristine Walton told The Monett Times. “We also bought new plates and changed the presentation to look more like a restaurant. When patients order like room service in a hotel, they eat better. They receive better nutrition, and they're able to get well and go home."
The team also rearranged its service times in order to keep up with meal preparation. Once a meal order is placed, the dining team has 45 minutes to deliver the food.
In the future, the hospital hopes to add a host position to the team, allowing patients to receive all three meals in a day from the same person.
Read the full story via monett-times.com.