On-trend comfort food options boost healthcare sales

Hospital food has recently undergone a culinary transition, moving toward customizable options and hotel-style room service for patients, staff and visitors. Operators are expanding menus using seasonal ingredients, flavor infusions and healthier options, including on-demand hot and iced beverages.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare pays hospitals based partially on patient satisfaction scores, so administrators say food has become more important as foodservice can enhance the overall hospital stay experience. “Foodservice is a driver in overall patient satisfaction,” says Tom Thaman, director of food and nutrition, Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis. “Poor tasting food and bad service will lead to dissatisfied patients, but you’ll have satisfied patients if you provide them with what they want to eat and drink, as well as top-notch service.”

Many healthcare providers invite employees and patients to be actively involved in planning menus, which has shown to improve patient satisfaction. Grandview Nursing & Rehab in Danville, Pa., holds monthly menu committee meetings where residents help plan a five-week cycle menu, with some people supplying home recipes. “Including residents in menu planning gives them ownership of the process, provides food more like what they eat at home and results in happier residents,” say Shelly Lawton, director or dietary services.

It’s also important to provide choices for staff and visitors when eating in the healthcare facility’s dining room. Eskenazi Health offers an expansive salad bar, an action station for made-from-scratch meals and a customized deli area. “Staff, as well as visitor, satisfaction is just as important as patient satisfaction,” says Thaman, “because they have expectations of being served good food and food that they want to eat.”

Comfort food and on-demand beverages

Comfort foods has a broad definition, but it comes down to the individual and what they prefer and what comforts them. Many times, comfort foods are items that evoke home cooking, such as meatloaf, mac and cheese, fried chicken and beef stroganoff. The only difference in what might be served at home and at a healthcare facility is the recipes are made in a healthier approach, such as low in sodium and fat, without sacrificing flavor, texture and visual appeal.

“Giving patients choices on what to eat improves their overall health, particularly if the food is considered comforting,” explains Thaman, “because they’ll tend to eat what they want compared to what they’re told to eat, which will improve their overall satisfaction.”

In addition to quality food, on-demand hot and iced beverages play an important part in improving satisfaction. “On-demand beverage stations provide patients, staff and visitors with hot and iced drinks when it’s convenient for them,” says Thaman. “Many staff will wait to order their beverage until they arrive at work and take it back to their office. Throughout the day, they have the convenience of being able to access on-demand hot or iced beverages, as well as patients having the opportunity to order on-demand beverages through room service.”