Food Program Extends Healthy Meals Beyond Hospital Walls

Before discharge, patients choose meals from a menu that supports individual health needs

By By Dan Hounsell


Food service program managers go to great lengths to ensure patients receive healthy, satisfying meals during their hospital stays. For one hospital, though, those efforts extend beyond the patients’ stay. 

A new program is sending healthy meals home with patients discharged from Traverse City's Munson Medical Center in Michigan – and connecting them to healthier lifestyles in the long term, according to Second Wave Michigan. Dr. Jean Kerver created the program and an accompanying research study in 2019 after discussions with Munson's clinical dietitians. Kerver trains medical students at the Michigan State University, and her role involves responding to community needs.

Before leaving the hospital, patients enrolled in the program choose their meals from a menu that supports their individual health needs. At discharge, they receive meals as well as a generous package of non-perishable and fresh foods, provided by the hospital. After patients' first few days home, the NMCAA Meals On Wheels program collaborates with Munson so that patients receive healthy meals for a total of 10 days.



March 22, 2021


Topic Area: Food Service


Recent Posts

8 Operational Considerations for All-Electric Central Plants

All-electric plants can help hospitals meet heating and steam generation needs while reducing operational complexity and improving sustainability.


Novant Health Breaks Ground on New Facilities in South Carolina

The Novant Health Bluffton Emergency Department and Novant Health Bluffton Health Place are slated to open in spring 2026.


Building an Organ Regeneration Lab at UHN's Toronto General Hospital

Case study: The hospital overcame space constraints and sterility challenges to create facilities that enhance organ transplant capabilities and global medical training.


Oracle Health Hit by Data Breach, Patient Data Possibly Compromised

The incident is the latest in a growing list of third-party vendors suffering from cyberattacks.


Ground Broken on New MD Anderson Sugar Land Facility

Anticipated to open in 2029, the five-story location will be MD Anderson’s largest Houston-area location to date.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.