What are the trends in healthcare food service today? You may be able to guess some of them. In no specific order, these are the top ten Lynne Eddy, Assistant Professor of the Business Marketing Department of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Hyde Park.
- Patient Centered Care – We are moving towards service that provides specifically to the needs of the patient. Become a designated Planetree member to ensure patient satisfaction and performing well on the HCAHPS.
- Hotel Style Room Service – Facilities have 18-24 hour room service nowadays. Resident satisfaction is high and consistent in CCRC due to individualized service. The pod concept-dual station replaces old-fashioned assembly lines. Separate teams of staff are designated to work at the pod or delivering trays on the floor.
- Cooked to Order – Also known as, A La Minute. Hello, flashed foods. Goodbye, plastic wraps. New production equipment, for example, the microwave convection oven, make preparation of room service orders instantaneous.
- Sustainability – Get rid of that container of dried parsley! If the population that you serve cares about where there food comes from, it is important to get them involved. This is predominantly seen in independent care living with activities like gardening.
- Electronic Medical Records and POS BOH Tickets – Beginning this year, the integrated computer system has become more prevalent. Everything will soon be real time and accuracy will be more crucial than ever.
- Retail Dining for Staff – Wellness for employee staff related to cafeteria food should be just as promising as wellness care for the patients. What kind of options do you have in the Grab and Go section? Do you offer fried foods daily?
- Upscale “5 Star” Catering – There is a need to change the eating habits of the medical professionals. Why not cater “Certified Healthy” foods?
- Restaurant-Style Menus – Menus display a variety of entrees to choose from. Static teaching tools are being used to identify or categorize food items. Wellness choices are included on the menu. And all printed on elegant card stock.
- Bottom Line – Maintain and maximize positive patient perception, increase rate of discharges, decrease readmissions, embrace staff wellness, and last but not least, put hospitality back into hospitals.
- Classically Trained Chefs – Who does not love “Top Chef”? Yes! Cooking competitions take place in the healthcare arena. Last but not least, chefs step outside the kitchen? Yes! Chefs are interacting with residents to ensure quality of food and service.
From UniPro Foodservice NetNews. Source: Greater New Jersey Society for Healthcare Food Service Administrators
