Hopkins - Baylor Health Care System

Feeding a CrowdBreakfast, lunch and dinner with thefood and nutrition services departmentEvery day of the year,Debbie Darlin, HopkinsCounty Memorial Hospital’sfood and nutrition servicesdepartment manager,and her department’s 24employees prepare freshmeals for people with ahost of dietary needs.Specially Made“We cater to customersthat range throughout thelife cycle with a significantemphasis on the geriatricpopulation. We provide ahouse menu as well as therapeuticdiets such as cardiac,carbohydrate-controlledand renal diets. People withswallowing problems mayneed texture modificationsto assist with adequateintake,” she says.Patients on regular andtherapeutic diets have awide range of foods theycan choose from so they canget the nutrition they needto regain their strength.And for visitors andstaff, the team offers threeentrees, salads, a range ofvegetables and a selectionof desserts in the cafeteria.“We take great pride inoffering well-balanced mealsand rising up to meet the difficultchallenges we face inmeeting the likes and dislikesof our patients,” Darlin says.She notes that somepatients come into thehospital accustomed to atypical American diet, andtheir doctor places themon a 1,800-calorie diet or adiet designed to help withWhat Are Your Nutritional Needs?Talk to your doctor about creating a customized meal plan.For a physician referral, visit hcmh.com.10,000The number of fresh, delicious,nutritious meals prepared everymonth for patients, employeesand guests at Memorial.cardiac conditions or diabetes.“We have to explain whytheir doctor ordered thisdiet for them,” she adds.Handled with CareEvery employee in thedepartment has completeda food-handling course sothey have the knowledgeand skills to maintain highsanitation standards andensure the safety of thefood. “It’s a very importantpart of our department,”Darlin says.Help atHomeThe work of the food servicesdepartment doesn’tend inside the hospital’swalls. Kim Assunto-Sellers, a registered dietitian,works with peopleon an outpatient basisto improve their healththrough nutrition.“I see kids and adultswho are trying to loseweight or manage type1 or type 2 diabetes,”she says. She also sometimesworks with peoplewith food allergies orintolerances.Assunto-Sellers haspeople keep food andexercise journals, thenshe looks over theirhabits to find smallgoals they can attainand then build on.Memorial’s food and nutrition services staff includes, back row: Debbie Darlin, Ned Lindley, Brooke Lancaster, CarlWatson, Michele Shurbet, Ke’Shanna Hill, Janet Pennington, Becky Hodge, Kayla Miller, Cindy Allino, Kim Assunto-Sellers and Cristina Munoz. Bottom row: Zeb Clayton, Dece Bozeman, Summer Ball, Donna Wade and Katie Zapata.Salad: ©ThinkstockHealth@Memorial • hcmh.com 3