Shawano Medical Center and Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca have launched new menu-driven meal systems.
The patients at both of hospitals now have the opportunity to select their food choices for meals from a restaurant-style menu with many choices. Dining staff will visit patients in their rooms during the day to take their food orders.
Emergency and outpatient patients will also have access to the food, and patients in the Family Birth Centers will be able to call in their orders to the centralized dining call center, located at Appleton Medical Center.
SMC launched the new system last week. RMC went live earlier this month.
The rollout of the new system has gone well, according to Carol Peotter, manager of ThedaCare dining services. Nurses reported that “the patients feel they are at the Hilton!” she said.
At SMC, dining staff noticed after the first meal a decrease in food waste – both with increased consumption of meals by the patient, and by producing to the order, nothing extra.
“I personally was amazed by the dedication of this dining services team and am so proud of them,” Peotter said. “Everyone is learning a new role, new skills and the new menu, too. They worked with a positive attitude, open to the new room service methods, and had great ideas to improve the work flows. I am so thankful for all of the staff knowledge and expertise they have.”
That sentiment was echoed by Kathy Reinke, director of ThedaCare dining services. “Providing our patients an opportunity to select what they want to eat at both SMC and RMC has been on our ‘wish list’ for a long time, as it provides a more personalized service and supports nutrition intake for the patient. … There have been many hours invested in recipe and menu development, so it is wonderful to see the efficiencies gained by use at multiple locations.”
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