FRISCO, Texas — Hospital food has long gotten a bad reputation, but,chef Chris Hensel has a lot of experience redefining hospital food, one meal at a time, with more than 180 meals a day served to patients at Texas Health Hospital Frisco.
Chris Hensel
“Food is a great part of the healing process,” said Hensel. “My goal is to change the view of hospital food by always doing things differently and staying on top of the changes. We really want that meal to be special for all patients.”
To celebrate their baby’s arrival, Texas Health hospitals offer a gourmet celebratory meal for the parents to enjoy during their stay. The menu at Texas Health Frisco includes crab-stuffed lobster, a rib-eye, a portobello steak or a tofu stir-fry.
“My husband and I got the crab-stuffed lobster to celebrate the birth of our baby boy,” said Whitney Sagert, who recently delivered at Texas Health Frisco. “It was very delicious and it was like going to a steakhouse or a lobster place. That’s our favorite thing to do when we celebrate our anniversary.”
Dawn Nichols, M.S.N., R.N., NEA-BC, director of Women and Infant Services at Texas Health Frisco, says when it comes to the hospital maternity experience, the celebratory meals are just the beginning.
“The take-home meal program really helps take one item off their plate during the transition from hospital to home. They’re easy to prepare, and they really help the parents who don’t have family nearby,” said Nichols. “Our families also look forward to 4 p.m. each day, when they’re treated with a warm cookie and milk.”
The take-home meal menu features a tofu stir-fry vegetarian option, as well as smoked brisket and rotisserie chicken. Each meal comes with two sides and a dessert, all packaged nicely in a Texas Health cooler bag.
“It’s wonderful that they provide a take-home meal. You already feel rushed to make sure you have food prepared at home since you don’t have much time to cook with a newborn,” said Sagert.
Hospital leaders are glad the extra touches are resonating with families.
“Our top priority is bringing these precious babies safely into the world and providing a high-quality experience for the new parents,” said Brett Lee, president of Texas Health Frisco.
“It’s a memorable occasion and we’re proud to be able to support families as they go home with their newborn.”
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About Texas Health Resources
Texas Health Resources is a faith-based, nonprofit health system that cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider. With a service area that consists of 16 counties and more than 7 million people, the system is committed to providing quality, coordinated care through its Texas Health Physicians Group and 29 hospital locations under the banners of Texas Health Presbyterian, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health Harris Methodist and Texas Health Huguley. Texas Health access points and services, ranging from acute-care hospitals and trauma centers to outpatient facilities and home health and preventive services, provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. The system has more than 4,100 licensed hospital beds, 6,400 physicians with active staff privileges and more than 26,000 employees. For more information about Texas Health, call 1-877-THR-WELL, or visit www.TexasHealth.org.