When hospitals transition from traditional trayline make up to room service, patient satisfaction scores typically rise into the 90th percentile. Further, though more labor is required, food cost are less and help to offset additional expenses. And management loves the results. However, in time, the ongoing changes in Medicaid and Medicare will put more pressure on your operation to continue to reduce costs and at the same time maintain customer satisfaction. Embrace the challenge and consider incorporating the following:
- Standardizing Food Products– This strategy works best in multiple locations but can be used to match retail and room service operations. A standardized food product system can in turn standardize your menu. Moving to a thirty day cycle with a core menu will produce a broad patient choice but allow the food service director to achieve food savings with the food vendors. Vendors can be educated about the standardization of food and bid accordingly.
- Sustainability – Both valuable for your operation and the community at large, sustainability calls for better ways to reduce and dispose of waste while using less resources to produce your menu. Using waste dehydrators that take solid food waste and reduce it into mulch is a tremendous way to sustain the environment and reduce water usage associated with disposers. Moreover, your solid waste costs are reduced.
- Speed Cooking – If you have committed to room service, then preparing meals quickly with the least amount of labor is paramount. You must embrace the high powered grills with quick recovery, ventless ovens, convection microwave ovens, 3 pan counter combi ovens, speed heated conveyors and modular heated holding for prepped menu items.
We look forward to helping you with all of you kitchen equipment needs. Please contact us a sales@dietaryequipment.net or call 1-800-755-4777 and ask for Lisa or Coline!
Foodservice Equipment Blog 