It’s wonderful to see influential people making profound strides toward providing more, healthier hospital menus and meal options. Community Outreach Coordinator, Kim Parent, of Power of Prevention/Cary Medical Center is already nearing the completion of a three-year grant provided by the Partnerships to Improve Community Health, which helped them implement a progressive nutritional service department at the Northern Maine Medical Center.
By making several small policy changes they were able to completely change the way their facility approached food service and patient health. Step one involved offering free drinking water all day, every day, to patients and staff throughout the hospital. Though water was meant to always be available anyway, an official policy was made in the nutritional services handbook to enforce it. Healthy water intake can prevent dehydration and other serious health risks. The next step was to incorporate free fresh fruit Fridays into every week. These changes eventually led to even greater improvements as the facility aimed to replace pre-made, frozen meals with homemade meals made from scratch with fresh, healthy ingredients. It was a great success. Less enthusiasm can be said for new smaller portion sizes, but unfortunately for fried food lovers, some sacrifices must be made for the sake of overall health.
These are the goals of Vision Software. More people in the healthcare industry are learning the benefits of making major changes to hospital menus. Making entrees from scratch can cost less to produce, while also increasing sales of those items. Better food equals better nutrition, which means significant health improvements that lead to fewer hospital visits and long-term improved health. The importance of providing healthier hospital menus is not just for patients, more money and less waste means a safer, cleaner, friendlier, and more productive working environment for all healthcare professionals.
Our mission is to continue improving and pushing the limits of hospital food service until every hospital menu offers a wider selection of healthier meal options. The most important thing for us is the provision of healthy, delicious meals to patients in need. Find out why so many hospitals and healthcare facilities trust Vision Software. Call us today at 629.777.8989 or complete the contact form in the sidebar to learn more about how our software can positively impact the lives of the patients and visitors you service every day.