Patient Dining Success:
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
Patient Dining Success: Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
At Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC), enhancing patient care through advanced food and nutrition services is a top priority. Integrating HS onTray mobile meal ordering has helped the Food and Nutrition Services team to improve patient dining with innovative solutions. According to Shannon Perrett, RD, PVHMC’s Clinical Nutrition Manager, this thoughtful approach has led to remarkable results!
Overcoming Implementation Challenges
As with any major operational shift, there was an initial hurdle. Production staff raised concerns that managing excessive menu options could disrupt workflows and reduce overall efficiency. However, the teams found a middle ground by carefully limiting menu selections to balance patient dining choices with operational performance.
Despite the adjustment period, PVHMC recognized the system’s value as the project progressed. Their approach to change management demonstrated considerate collaboration by validating staff concerns rather than focusing solely on patient benefits.
Strategic Implementation
Nutrition services began with a targeted pilot in the Women’s Center to test mobile ordering with a tech-savvy demographic. This model allowed them to refine processes before expanding hospital-wide, addressing menu configuration and workflow challenges for smooth scaling.
Specialized menu categories work harmoniously with PVHMC’s existing Bedside Connect system, offering appropriate patient dining options while protecting production efforts.
70-80% participation rate among eligible patients!
Technology-Assisted Solutions
NICU Mothers
Perhaps the most impactful improvement has addressed a longstanding challenge with mothers of NICU infants. Previously, locating these mothers for meal selections was difficult due to time spent away from their assigned rooms. HS onTray enables menu access from anywhere in the hospital, resulting in enhanced nutrition delivery. Furthermore, mobile ordering means one less worry during a stressful time, raising PVHMC’s quality of care.
Targeted Patient Reach
Mobile self-ordering has enabled menu selectors to focus on patients requiring additional nutritional assistance. Allowing staff to redirect time without compromising service proved invaluable during the flu season when surge capacity units opened.
Strategic Engagement for Sustained Participation
A pattern revealed patients actively interacted with self-ordering on their first day, but engagement declined afterward. In response, PVHMC developed a system of sending additional menu links to less active patients. This simple but effective adjustment has encouraged ongoing participation.
Multilingual Accessibility
Since HS onTray is web-based, users can leverage a browser’s translation functionality, enhancing the ordering experience for non-English-speaking patients. As a result, involvement and order accuracy have increased across PVHMC’s diverse population.
Prodigy Innovator
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center exemplifies excellence by finding creative solutions to healthcare challenges through technology. Congratulations again to their team for earning the Innovator category of Computrition’s Prodigy Award!
Partner with us to deliver exceptional care through software—prioritizing patient dining while supporting hospital staff.