Hospital’s CEO eats its food for a week, mandates menu changes

The menu served at Ottawa General Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, is headed for an overhaul after its CEO and management team ate a strict hospital food diet for a week and were unhappy with their options. The foodservice department has been fielding patient complaints for years, but decided to take action after facing the issue head on.

“Getting food managers to eat three meals of hospital food a day for a week brought the point home that much of the food being served was bland, institutional and not what people would normally eat,” Director of Food Services Kevin Peters told Ottawa Citizen.

The hospital is now in the middle of a major shift toward more modern and flavorful options, Peters said.

CEO Jack Kitts responded to a complaint letter saying, “Our management team has recently eaten hospital food for a week and agrees with your observation that we need to improve the presentation and taste.”

Menu changes include subbing the hospital’s chicken a la king for items such as quinoa salad, fresh sandwiches and global offerings. Down the line, Peters envisions a continental-style breakfast cart wheeled to patients’ bedsides, as well as late-night room service.

The hospital previously took steps to rid the cafeteria of less nutritious options like french fries. Peters said improving patient food is its next move.

Read the full story on Ottawa Citizen.