NEWS RELEASE
COLLINGWOOD GENERAL AND MARINE HOSPITAL
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Starting this fall, patients at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) will be able to choose from a variety of nutritious, prepared fresh meals, cooked in house by a Red Seal certified chef.
The hospital is launching Freshflex in partnership with Aramark, the company who oversees the hospital’s dietary and environmental service areas.
“CGMH is very excited to announce that improvements to our patient menu are on the horizon, as enhancing the patient experience and providing choice and variety remains at the forefront for the hospital,” says Norah Holder, CGMH president and CEO. “Ultimately, if patients are eating healthy foods and getting the rest they require, this all contributes to the healing process.”
The hospital and Aramark are working collaboratively on menu enhancements that meet more than 20 therapeutic diets, to provide patients with the nourishment they require, depending on their ailment.
“Providing fresh, flavourful and nutritious meals to patients, prepared fresh on-site, is the goal of the Food Services Department at CGMH,” says Natasha Mooney, manager of Food Services, Clinical Nutrition and EVS. Dietary employees will be engaging with patients and assisting them with meal time selection, for a more personal approach.
The hospital will implement a one week cycle menu where patients will choose from a variety of selections offered each meal. The meal selection will follow Canada’s newly updated food guide, which has recommendations around increasing omega 3 fats, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats where possible.
In order to help make this important patient care initiative possible, the Foundation is launching a $350,000 campaign to support the implementation of Freshflex.
“This project could not be possible without community support,” says Jory Pritchard-Kerr, Executive Director of the CGMH Foundation. “The Foundation is excited to partner with the Hospital and Aramark on this innovative, patient-centred project.”
Donations to this campaign will be invested in new computer software that syncs with the patient’s medical record to capture any noted dietary requests, to ensure that only selections allowable to a patient’s diet and/or texture profile will be available for meal selection.
Through community support, donations will also fund dietary department renovations and state-of-the-art kitchen equipment, including:
- a Rational SelfCookingCenter® which can roast, fry, grill, steam, poach, bake (and much more) any item ranging from meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, eggs, baked goods or even desserts.
- Ultra-fast shock freezer/chiller.
- A temperature-controlled delivery system.
The Foundation recently received a $5,000 donation from National Bank of Canada to kick off the campaign.
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