Covenant HealthCare Nutrition Services now offers a unique program called, “Healthy Meals to go.”
The meal program provides a menu of nutritionally evaluated meals for discharged patients with special diets for diabetes or heart-related issues, for example.
A healthy diet plays an integral role in reducing readmits, and most importantly, helping patients to stay healthy. The idea evolved from a patient comment.
“When thinking of some of the disease processes that cause patients to readmit, Congestive Heart Failure and Diabetes immediately come to mind, a healthy diet could help resolve some of those issues,” said Bonnie Hartwick, registered nurse, quality improvement specialist. “We began thinking what a service it would be if Covenant could offer some healthy meal choices for patients at discharge, to help them comply with their prescribed dietary needs.”
“As patients transition home, they may be living alone, may not have a strong support system or simply do not feel well enough at discharge to prepare a healthy meal,” Hartwick said. “The whole goal of this program is to offer patients or family members the opportunity to purchase affordable meals to go during their recovery period post discharge.”
Each meal is created by Food and Nutrition Services with guidance and nutritional evaluation by our clinical dietitians, to provide delicious meals that consist of consistent carbohydrates for Diabetic Patients and less than 2000 mg of sodium if ordering breakfast, lunch and dinner for those recommended to be on a low sodium diet.
Meals were selected based on the most popular requests from inpatient orders.
Patients may make their food choices from a breakfast, lunch and dinner category. They will be able to order up to three days of meals or a $10. minimum order payable with cash or credit card. When placing their order, they will simply need to indicate the campus they choose to pick up their order – Harrison or Cooper. Orders may be placed by calling 989-583-6052, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 am and 2 p.m.
Harrison and Cooper campuses hosted the pilot for the program, which began Dec. 2.
“The nutrition food service operations team is excited to be able to offer this wonderful support service to our patients and community.” said Carrie Travis. Nutrition Services Director.
It’s another way Covenant is choosing to be extraordinary for every generation and empower patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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