Food and Nutrition Services Department
Next to airplane food and fruitcake, hospital food is one of the most maligned cuisines known to man. But anyone taking a casual stroll through Worcester Medical Center's new Food Court gets a whiff of something delicious. Once you pass through the doorways, your eyes feast upon the fresh, attractive and appetizing fare that the Food and Nutrition Department has to offer. "We've been hearing a lot of positive feedback," said the director of the department. The department of 110 is responsible for patient meals at Worcester Medical Center as well as the Vernon Hill campus and the cafeteria. Both campuses each have a working kitchen to maximize efficiency and patient satisfaction. The staff is employed by Morrison Management Specialists. Morrison uses the "cook/chill" method, widely seen as a safe and efficient cooking method in the food industry. The department uses a high tech, delivery cart. These carts keep hot food hot on one side and cold items such as drinks and sandwiches on the other. To keep the quality of the food high, each day, trays are taken randomly from the carts and tested for taste, temperature, and appearance. Any problems identified with the food are immediately communicated to the kitchen where they make the adjustments immediately. The key to success is treating each patient on a "case by case" basis the director of the department said. Each patient meets with a department member who helps them go over the menu. Special requests such as vegetarian needs or lactose intolerance or a peanut allergy are noted and put into the patient's file. Patient's who are admitted in the middle of the night have their meals cooked-to-order, instead of having to wait until morning for a meal, as is the practice in many hospitals. The director of the department recalls a patient recently who was required to stay in the hospital for over a month. The patient could only eat meals prepared in the Kosher manner. He was able to find a vendor to supply the meals, but they had little variety. After some research, they contracted with a local Jewish home. A member of the department picked up the meals each day for the duration of the patient's stay. Looking to the future, the director hopes to install a walkie-talkie system, so that staff members can respond to patient's needs even more quickly. In response to patient comments, the menu has been expanded to include regional and international favorites, as well as good old, "comfort foods" such as meat loaf and mashed potatoes. The cafeteria is now open evenings and weekends, a development that is welcomed by employees who work weekends. The food is so good at Worcester Medical Center that he boasts employees are not the only ones who know what a good thing we have here. "More and more folks from the community are using the cafeteria," he said. For more information call 508-363-6147
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