How to transform foodservice in healthcare
Logistics are at the heart of healthcare. They yield measurable data and drive efficiency. With healthcare organizations around the country striving to boost performance, there is an increasing need for logistical excellence. Through this excellence, hospitals will reach new levels of profitability, scale, speed, and efficiency.
At Morrison Healthcare, we are leading the way in logistics. The Patient Solutions team has grown into a logistical heavyweight bringing a new standard of excellence to food and nutrition services (FANS). This team works behind the scenes to improve patient meal assembly and delivery processes, align with operations, and provides valuable training for managers and frontline associates, which ensures hospital FANS meets the patient’s expectations.
The Patient Solutions team’s efforts to transform foodservice in healthcare are rooted in three areas:
Timeliness – Customizable workflows based on thorough time studies of the frontline associates’ workday from start to finish.
Temperature – Entrees kept on average 16 degrees hotter at the point of service by following the team build meal assembly model.
Accuracy – Development of robust high-risk tray process by use of technology and policy compliance resulted in 63 percent decrease in incident reports.
These logistical improvements are the result of new tools, research, and resources we’re using to transform foodservice in healthcare.
Foodservice technology trends
Technology plays an important role in building a logistical powerhouse in healthcare. Morrison Healthcare has created proprietary solutions that drive efficiency, speed, and lower cost. With offerings like MyDining, MyDelivery, MyMeal, and QR codes, patients have more options to customize their experience.
Morrison’s technology stands out because it was designed by chefs, dietitians, and operational experts with an emphasis on creating the best dining experience for the patient. With the addition of cutting-edge technology, healthcare logistics receive a shot in the arm through enhanced data and added efficiency.
MyDining—MyDining is Morrison Healthcare’s personalized patient meal-ordering system. Patients have the ability to place orders by phone to a call center or a patient dining associate will visit the room to take orders. MyDining makes it easy to log, track, and report on meal orders while its operational features improve order accuracy, enhance patient safety, and boost patient satisfaction scores.
MyMeal—MyMeal is Morrison Healthcare’s proprietary patient-facing meal ordering application which works in partnership with MyDining.
MyDelivery—MyDelivery is an integrated solution that measures and reports on the speed of service. When integrated with MyDining, MyDelivery tracks tray delivery times to ensure proper temperatures and help to drive patient satisfaction.
QR Code Menus—With QR codes, every room has a menu. That means, if a patient has access to a smartphone, they can easily check the menu for the day.
APP Based Quality Tracking—The Patient Solutions team works with the technology team to redesign common tracking forms so they can be accessed digitally, which allows for heightened tray tracking.
Technology is a conduit to logistical excellence. At Morrison Healthcare, the Patient Solutions team collaborates across hospital departments to integrate technology solutions that drive efficiency and increase the patient experience.
Team Structure
Without excellent associates, a FANS department will struggle. It’s important to develop a staffing model that boosts recruitment and retention efforts, while also maximizing resource efficiency.
Some of the greatest logistical improvements come from how teams are set up. The Patient Solutions team has flipped the traditional FANS team setup on its head by developing new models: Team Build and Team Pass.
Team Build is a new way to look at tray assembly. Traditionally trays are put together using an assembly line model. Team Build breaks the process and creates pods. By associates working together on the meal assembly process, hospitals realized efficiencies, increased speed, enhanced associate engagement, and cross-functional skillsets.
Team Pass is a reinvention of the food delivery process in a hospital. In the past, delivery was always handled by a single associate with a cart. Through research and data analysis, the Patient Solutions team found that adding a second person to the delivery process greatly increased collaboration which led to a vastly increased speed of delivery.
The proof is in the data. On average, conventional bedside food delivery takes 87 minutes from order to delivery. Facilities that utilize Team Build drop the total delivery time to 66 minutes with the tray assembly time being cut in half. The numbers are even more staggering for hospitals that use both Team Build and Team Pass. The total delivery time drops to 40 minutes with only 25 minutes to deliver the food from the kitchen.
Logistics are at the heart of healthcare operations. By investing in our people, processes, and technology, we can create a logistical powerhouse that boosts results, drives revenue, and increases the patient experience. For a deeper dive into the Patient Solutions team and how they are revolutionizing foodservice in healthcare, download our white paper: People, Process, and Technology: How Investing in Logistics Transforms the Patient Experience.
