Hospital Power Players: Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

49. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge, La.

Licensed Beds: 857*
Management: Self-operated
Avg. Daily In-patient Census: 487
Avg. No. In-patient Meals/Day: 1,500
No. of Retail Dining Outlets: 6
Total Annual Retail Sales: nr
Dining/Nutrition Services FTEs: 168

Our Lady of the Lake recently debuted its new ambassador program bedside meal service, based on a national best practice model that features advanced technology to improve communications while ensuring speed and accuracy for meal orders. The program allows patients to interact directly with an ambassador dedicated especially to them and place their meal orders in person rather than through a phone call.  Each ambassador is equipped with a tablet and cell phone headset, allowing him to efficiently relay the details of each order in a timely manner. Ambassadors have already been implemented in several units throughout the hospital and an expansion of the program is likely, according to the hospital.

In the hospital’s café, guests can choose from a variety of healthy meal options through a partnership with renowned cookbook author Holly Clegg, known for her trim&TERRIFIC series.

There are also five other retail food outlets, including the nation’s first 24-hour Smoothie King.

 Recent improvements in the dining infrastructure include the construction of a second kitchen in the Heart & Vascular Institute tower, which is devoted strictly to patient meal services (the main kitchen produces for both patient and retail dining).  Upgrades have also been made recently to the café at the Tau Center, the facility that provides treatment for individuals with mental and behavioral health issues.  

*Includes Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital