Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

11 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE kitchen or uniforms. You don't train your chefs and the food gets worse and worse. e first thing I did was bring on talented, qualified chefs. I saw that what I was afraid would be a disadvantage, knowing nothing about healthcare, became an advantage. I wanted chefs who also knew nothing about healthcare. I wanted them to learn as they go, but bring the hotel restaurant experience to our patients. I found 15 highly talented executive chefs with some amazing backgrounds. We have a team of chefs that honestly I can say some hotels and restaurants would envy. Aer that we had to bring on better product. When I came in, everything was frozen or ready to be reheated; there was no actual cooking going on. We selected local fish, bread, and produce vendors for the best quality ingredients. Aer that, we worked in converting our freezers into refrigerators. We organized a kitchen cleaning schedule, which didn't exist before. en we got a committee together and redesigned the uniforms for chefs and front of house. And suddenly the chefs and the staff started to really be proud of what they're doing. We created diner-style menus that are easy to read and don't have any medical or clinical terms. I suggested we put the therapeutic diets and explanations in the arrival packages for patients. I wanted our dietary services to be involved. Instead of patients reading their dietary requirements off a paper, I wanted them to have human contact with their specialists. I could go on for hours. It's constant small changes, day aer day, week aer week. I think about the next step, what I can improve. All those small details make a big difference in the end. n 52% of patients say their symptoms are ignored: Survey By Bari Faye Dean F ifty-two percent of U.S. patients said healthcare providers dismiss their described symptoms, according to a MITRE-Harris poll. The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of MITRE from Sept. 27-29 among 2,047 U.S. adults 18 and older, according to a Dec. 20 news release. Among Black and Hispanic respondents, the number who said they experience bias and doubt was even higher, at 6 in 10 people. These patients made comments such as, "My healthcare provider is biased against me based on their attitude, words or actions." Also, half of survey participants reported they have experienced a healthcare provider "assuming something" about them without asking, In addition, people living with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, those with a chronic healthcare condition and caregivers who manage healthcare access for someone else are "all much more likely to experience bias, doubt or language barriers when seeking treatment," according to the release. Juliette Forstenzer Espinosa, a senior Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act marketplace strategist at MITRE, said in the release the survey findings confirm "unacceptable disparities in patient experience along racial and ethnic lines, for the LGBTQ+ community, and for those who are managing chronic health conditions or navigating the world with disabilities. "And these categories are, of course, intersectional," she added. "There's no question there is work to do to better serve all populations at the point of care." n NYC Health + Hospitals offers plant-based dinner menu By Bari Faye Dean N YC Health + Hospitals introduced a culturally diverse, plant-based dinner menu as its primary meal option for inpatients. The initiative builds on the hospital system's "Meatless Monday" program and its successful launch last summer of a plant-based primary lunch menu, according to a Jan. 9 release. "Every patient deserves delicious, nourishing meals during their hospital stay," said Michelle McMacken, MD, executive director of nutrition and lifestyle medicine for the healthcare system. "After all, the food we eat is critical to recovering from illness." Plant-based cooking includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and more. Research from the National Institutes of Health suggests consistent adherence to a plant-based diet may be beneficial for people diagnosed with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. NYC Health + Hospitals' updated menu will feature "diverse culinary traditions and nutrient-dense foods," Dr. McMacken said. The menu offerings, which will represent NYC Health + Hospitals' diverse patient population, include favorites from Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean. With an eye on promoting healthy outcomes, Mercedes Redwood, a registered dietician and assistant vice president for management services at NYC Health + Hospitals, said, "the implementation of the plant-forward menu as the primary choice for our patients is another important milestone in our journey to promoting high- quality, culturally appropriate, healthy, nutritious and tasty food." n

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