CHoR is among the first children’s hospitals in the country to experience the food and fun of Morrison Healthcare’s new patient menus
Familiarity and fun can raise spirits and put kids at ease in the hospital. Morrison Healthcare is offering a fresh helping of both with the launch of a new patient menu in our Children’s Tower.
From purrr-fect oatmeal with apple whiskers and a cat face for the little ones to kicked up chicken tenders for teens, menu offerings are designed to comfort kids and taste delicious.
“Morrison has been working on this pediatric menu concept for several years and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU is one of the first to launch it,” said Leigh Scott, director of food and nutrition for Morrison Healthcare. Her role is dedicated to the café and patient food service at CHoR.
Last week, CHoR team members and patient families were invited to an expo to see and taste the new menu items before the launch.
Take a peek at the pediatric menu expo at CHoR
“It’s all good! I would eat it every day,” said oncologist Dr. Jordyn Griffin, who’s excited to hear what her patients think when they get to experience the new food.
Nursing director Bridget Hutchinson was particularly fond of the mac and cheese balls, while patient Dylan Lipton-Lesser loved the French toast sticks.
The new menu technically consists of three different menus broken out by age group.
“Kids, especially toddlers, eat a lot more with their eyes. If it’s fun, if it’s exciting, if it looks like a fun character, they’re going to jump at it,” said Jacob Cohn, executive chef with Morrison at CHoR. “It’s also realizing that teenagers, they want adult food.”
So, while a teen may opt for smokehouse BBQ sliders or a salmon filet, grilled cheese strips and Goldfish crackers swimming in tomato soup are likely to be more appealing to a preschooler. Sandwiches, pasta and the like are also available for those who prefer to stick with their familiar favorites. Cohn is especially excited about the desserts, such as the dirt and worm cups, and teddy bear cupcakes with s’more and Teddy Graham toppings.
“It just has that layer of fun that I feel like most menus, especially in hospitals, are missing,” Cohn added of the new program. “At the end of the day, our clientele are sick kids. They’re kids that want to be kids. To be able to give them a little joy through food every day is a blessing.”
Fun beyond the food – The new menu includes other kid-friendly considerations
Beyond the scrumptious and sometimes silly food, there are other special touches that speak to kids. The menus are reminiscent of what you’d see in a restaurant, with fun fonts and age appropriate activities on the back. Team members delivering food to the floors have colorful t-shirts and, on occasion, may arrive in costume (think of your favorite big blue monster delivering cookies and milk). A child having a birthday will receive a card on their tray, and other special occasions will be celebrated in similar ways.
Morrison has also gifted CHoR with some specialty equipment, including a popsicle machine capable of creating custom flavors, a cupcake cart that can bring delicious delight down the halls and more.
“We’re ready,” said Briana Jones, patient services manager at CHoR, about rolling out the new menu and everything that comes with it for the kids.