Patient menu program revised, improved
To
maximize patient satisfaction, the new Sodexho Five Star patient
menu announced a revised host/ hostess program with additional patient
ambassadors starting Feb. 27.
Registered
dietitian and patient service manager, Carrie Gentry, right, and Jan
Burton, patient ambassador, work on the new menu.Patients at MUSC can now look forward to newly improved Five Star menus from dining services. The menus include a choice of three entrees for lunch and dinner. Some new entrée selections will include Southwest chicken salad, grilled lemon sage chicken salad, and assorted wraps. The back of each menu will feature a brief explanation of the patient’s diet that will help clarify questions or concerns that a patient may have about his or her specific menu. Daily menus will be hand-delivered and thoroughly explained to patients by the host/hostess staff. Patients will now make their menu selections the day ahead in order to provide ample time for patients to evaluate menu options. The diabetic menus will continue to display the grams of carbohydrates so patients can easily balance their daily carbohydrate intake with their medications.
Meanwhile, the patient dining experience is stepping up to a new level with an improved host/hostess program. Patients will no longer be calling down their menu requests and talking to a machine. Each host/hostess’ daily assignments will be centered to specific units in an effort to promote better rapport with patients and nursing staff. They will be able to spend more time assisting patients with making menu selections and responding to patient requests. The new program will provide patients with a more individualized and personable touch.
Addressing and correcting patient’s dietary concerns immediately is an essential part of guaranteeing patient satisfaction. Due to the success of the Patient Ambassador program, a second patient services ambassador was recently hired by MUSC dining services. Patient services ambassadors focus on enhancing patient satisfaction by continually interacting with patients on a daily basis. Ambassadors also will provide seven-day-per-week coverage to newly admitted patients and their families. Each ambassador has been extensively trained in evaluating patient satisfaction and is highly skilled at explaining and answering questions pertaining to the intricacies of the menu system. Diet explanation cards will be distributed to patients based on their specific diet order. The card will provide patients with a diet order rationale and guidelines to help them improve adherence to their diet. Upon discharge, patients can continue to refer to the diet card as a supplementary diet education tool.
Keeping patients at the heart of everything MUSC does will result in positive patient experiences.
Friday, Feb. 23, 2007
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