Food and nutrition
At NUMC, we in the Department of Food and Nutrition strive to provide our patients with the highest nutritional value. We take the latest knowledge of nutrition and wellness, and infuse it with healthy fresh food to provide our patients with the best possible environment for faster healing.
Food and Nutrition Staff
NUMC employs approximately 70 food service associates who are trained in safe food handling techniques and proper infection control and are frequently screened. They prepare and serve meals in an efficient and efficient manner to patients and staff, who want to help make a patient's stay a little brighter, especially with a meal request. Food service supervisors are graduates of a 120-hour Dietary Manager course, and perform regular service to maintain their knowledge of foodborne illness prevention.
Most patients are seen routinely by one of our registered dietitians. These professionals, as well as management, all receive their credentials from accredited universities, and must maintain their knowledge by accumulating the required academic credits to remain registered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition, she is a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist with the State of New York. NUMC has some dietitian specialties, such as Nutrition Support Clinician Certification through the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Dietitians are an integral part of the health care team. They work closely with nurses, doctors and other health care professionals to provide quality nutritional care to patients at NUMC. For patients who are too ill to use an oral diet, dietitians will recommend an appropriate nutritional support regimen to the physician to provide the patient with the optimal nutritional outcome.
Facilities
The original kitchen was originally built in 1973 with the active care building and has recently undergone a total renovation. New equipment was added to enable food preparation methods that allow for the greatest preservation of nutrients. Apart from healthy food preparations, our chefs are always concerned with serving food that is appetizing and delicious.
Each floor of the hospital has its own pantry which is stocked with daily snacks by the Food and Nutrition Department. A microwave oven and refrigerator are also available for patient use with the assistance of nursing staff.
The employee cafeteria feeds 400 people daily from all areas of the hospital. There you can find a delicious hot or cold option, from pasta dishes to personal pizzas or homemade soups to gourmet salads and sandwiches or yogurt.
Functions
The staff of the Department of Food and Nutrition serves approximately 350 patients at each meal. Providing tasty, attractive meals to so many people is a complex but precise process, as everyone has individual needs and preferences. However, we strive to make every patient happy with their diet. One way to achieve this goal is to eliminate handwritten paper menus and use a modern computer system. When a patient is admitted, their physician decides what type of diet the patient should take based on their medical history. The diet is then entered into the electronic medical record (a large computer system that contains patient information), which is automatically transferred to the computer system at the central food and nutrition office. The computer matches the diet order with the patient's allergies and personal preferences, and also prints a tray ticket. A supervisor is assigned to review each tray ticket. This ensures that it is an attractive and appetizing meal. It is then placed in a tray and brought to the patient.
A representative from the department visits patients to review their menu choices and preferences. Again, this is not done with a paper and pencil, but is inserted into a tablet with a touch screen display that interfaces with the nutritional computer system in real time. This eliminates questions about what the patient is allowed to eat, as each patient's personal dosage is indicated on the tablet. By choosing this method, it gives patients the opportunity to discuss their malnutrition with a live person.
Menu
The Department of Food and Nutrition serves a weekly menu cycle that is ethnically and culturally diverse. If a patient dislikes the meal of the day, many alternative dishes are available. As a comprehensive teaching hospital, we must have food available for all types of diets, from low-sodium, low-cholesterol diets to gluten-free diets. We serve Italian food, Latin food and vegetarian dishes. Holiday menus are created to provide festive food to acknowledge the celebrants. Our disaster menu is ready at a moment's notice to provide essential requirements in case a disaster strikes our area. On a lighter note, we provide our youngest pediatric patients with kid-friendly meals and appropriate meals that the elderly can easily afford. Chefs have prepared special meals for some long-term patients in the past. Patients can even have a slice of cake on their birthdays if their diets allow. Even picky eaters usually find things they like to eat during their stay.
If your doctor has prescribed meals for you, or why you are getting special food on your tray, or if you have questions about general nutrition and healthy eating habits, ask your dietitian.
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