BONNYVILLE – The Bonnyville Health Foundation recently hosted its annual Healthcare Professionals Appreciation Lunch and revealed a new Burlodge food service carts – a piece of equipment that keeps half a food tray warm and the other half cool while in transportation.
This food service cart is the first of its kind in Alberta, and $65,000 worth of donor dollars funded two of the carts.
“I feel the quality of hospital food is one of the most relatable things we can all say we’d like to see elevated in our hospitals,” said Dawn Weber, Executive Director of the Bonnyville Health Foundation.
Hospitality manager Anita Layh was brimming with gratitude and excitement for the new service carts, saying that the food her team puts so much effort into preparing is only nutritious if it is eaten, and that the carts will decrease the amount of food waste they see at the hospital.
Layh also explained the increase in food safety the new service carts offer, as well as how much they increase the palatability of the food. As some patients can remain in the hospital for many months, having a decent meal can contribute to their quality of life, and getting the nutrients they need can fuel their healing and shorten their stays at the hospital.
“First and foremost, a massive thank-you from my food service department. This is the first purchase we have had funded by the Bonnyville Health Foundation, and it has seriously helped us change the way we deliver food,” said Layh.
Layh says the way the food was previously delivered was not effective enough to deliver entrees hot, while also keeping salads and sides cool.
“By the time they were delivered, everything was a lukewarm mess,” said Layh.
She told a story of when they launched these new carts on Oct. 16, and a staff member cautioned a patient about the meal being hot, to which the patient responded, “That’s hilarious, I’ve never had warm food in the hospital.”
The patient was shocked to discover that the meal was indeed hot.
“I have a team of about six staff in the back kitchen that are tirelessly preparing these meals . . . This is a huge boost for our staff because all their hard work going into making that food when it can’t hold its temperature, and you can’t keep it palatable, leads to complaints. And it’s really tough to get 65 meals out of the kitchen, up to the floor, and staying warm,” said Layh.
She spoke about how much the staff members care about offering meals the patients can enjoy.
“This is an extreme area of pride for me and for my entire group, to have the smiles and the compliments from the patients that the food is great . . . From me and my department, I want to say a massive thank you for everyone who donated, and to Dawn [Weber] for her tireless work at the [Bonnyville Health Foundation], so that we could get one of these [service carts],” said Layh.
Before the presentation Coun. Kayla Blanchette, Coun. Byron Johnson, Coun. Neil Langridge, Coun. David Sharun, Coun. Phil Kushnir, and Coun. Brian McEvoy from the Town of Bonnyville acted as sandwich artists to provide a hearty lunch for the event.