St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Media Contact
Jackie Ferman
Phone -- 314.286.0375

ST. LOUIS, December 13, 2003 -- The food and nutrition department at St. Louis Children’s Hospital has a lot on its plate. Since it began outsourcing its food services to Georgia-based Morrison Management, the hospital has not only added many exciting new programs for its patients – it’s given the business office some food for thought.

Where else can a child enjoy a bedside picnic in his hospital room? Or participate in a closed-circuit cooking demonstration without leaving his hospital bed?

Since its collaboration with Morrison began in 1995, St. Louis Children’s Hospital has instituted several new programs to make food service fun for its young patients, hired an executive chef, reduced food waste and increased its annual department revenue by 12 percent.

The hospital has also doubled its retail food sales since 1995, growing receipts from $7,000 to $18,000 a day, and increasing daily service from 1,600 customers to nearly 4,200.

"Cafeteria volumes have grown remarkably over the last few years," said Gary LaBlance, Ph.D., vice president of quality, service and information management for St. Louis Children’s Hospital. "We could not be more pleased with the Morrison Management team."

Both BJC and St. Louis Children’s Hospital have worked with Morrison for nearly eight years – initially to reduce costs and improve retail food sales. Morrison helped the hospitals keep costs-per-unit flat through revenue growth, improved purchasing agreements, staffing, productivity and cost management structures.

Before its partnership with Morrison, hospital patients accounted for less than 10 percent of the food services department’s customers – the majority of the diners being family members and staff. But the nutrition department wanted to increase its appeal to the hospital’s young patients so it hired Executive Chef Jim Johnson to develop a nutrition program that was both satisfying to the hospital, and fun for the kids.

Some of the more successful programs include:

• Food Carts – Also known as the "buffet on wheels." Being confined to a hospital bed no longer means being restricted to a certain meal. Food services workers now drive steam tables with refrigerators door-to-door and offer several menu options to each patient. After the child has chosen a selection, the worker returns to the cart to prepare the meal. Parents can opt for the same service for $3 per meal.
• Picnics with the Chef – Chef Johnson heard about a chemotherapy patient who would not eat. So he prepared a special picnic for that child – checkered tablecloth and all! He set the picnic up on the floor of the patient’s room and they enjoyed a nutritious lunch together. This program has been very successful with children who experience loss of appetite or enthusiasm about eating due to their illness or medication.
• Cooking with the Chef – Using the hospital’s in-house television station, the chef holds a cooking demonstration for all interested patients. The day prior to "Cooking with the Chef," food service workers deliver the necessary ingredients to each room. The demonstration allows the children to learn and play without leaving their hospital room.
• Lunch with the Chef – Once a month, staff are invited to dine in the hospital’s boardroom. Eight dollars a plate gets them an appetizer, salad, entrée, dessert and beverage. As he serves the participants, Chef Jim explains each menu item and gives cooking tips and techniques as he goes along.
• Holiday Specials – During the busy holiday season, Chef Jim implements a variety of programs for staff members, including gourmet box lunches, bake sales and cooking classes.

The next program on the horizon is the sale of pre-packaged bulk foods to take home for dinner. This is intended to help staff who have had a long day or will not have time to prepare a meal.

Patient surveys last year indicated improved satisfaction with hospital meals. And St. Louis Children’s Hospital will continue to seek enterprising opportunities to make a child’s hospital stay more enjoyable and to fulfill the hospital’s mission to do what’s right for kids.

According to LaBlance, "By offering innovative dining experiences, customized programs and more options for both patients, their families and staff, Morrison has helped St. Louis Children’s Hospital stand out as a leader in offering new and different services for our customers."

St. Louis Children’s Hospital has provided specialized care for children for more than 120 years. Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine, ranked the second best medical school in the country by US News & World Report. In 2003, Child magazine ranked St. Louis Children’s Hospital sixth on its list of the 10 Best children’s hospitals in the country, and fourth in neonatology/neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). St. Louis Children’s Hospital also is a member of BJC HealthCare.