The Cube!

Let’s put ourselves in a patient’s shoes for a moment. Imagine this: It is meal time – the time of day you look forward to.  You’re waiting for your comforting hot meal … maybe it’s macaroni and cheese, maybe it’s Sheppard’s pie.  The aroma of the hot food is palpable… your stomach grumbles and your salivary glands are stimulated.  But wait, the nurse comes in and tells you that you have an appointment for a scan.  The nurse and porter start to wheel you out of your room and you see your hot tray being delivered.  After an hour or two, you are brought back to your room and you see the same tray of food sitting there waiting for you.  At this point, it has been sitting there for more than an hour.  Needless to say, your hot food is cold and your cold food is warm, not to mention the risk of food borne illness.  Fantastic!  You ask the nurse for a new hot meal because at this point, the food quality is inedible and you’re absolutely starving!  If you are lucky enough, you will be able to get a new hot meal.  Sometimes, this is not an option.

So, what do you do if a patient is out for a test, has a check-up with the doctor, is not hungry yet, or is waiting for someone to help them eat?  Well, you can leave the tray in the patient’s room, but this will compromise the quality and temperature of the food.  You can send the patient a new hot meal when they are ready, but this will cost the food department more money.

What if I was to tell you that all this can been avoided?  That you can serve patient meals at proper temperature even if they eat 2 hours after meal delivery?  And that’s not all! What if I was to also tell you that you could save food costs and improve patient satisfaction? Enticing? I think so!  Your answer is the CUBE.

The CUBE from Burlodge is a new key member of the meal delivery system. This small holding oven stores delayed trays at ward level until patients are ready to eat.  It functions to keep hot food hot and cold food cold (65^oc+ and 4^oc), and holds up to 4 trays at a time (530x325mm (GN1/1) or 570x325mm).   All you have to do is pre-heat the oven one hour before the meal is served, and then you can store the tray for up to 2 hours until the patient is ready for their meal.

The CUBE maintains the original quality of the food and maintains temperature without any manipulation.  It keeps food hot using convected heat and keeps food cold through static evaporator technology. The CUBE can support the use of all types of dishes and is very safe and easy to set.  Similar to a Burlodge trolley system, it is equipped with insulation and a divider wall.  It can be placed on a stand or countertop, has low sound emission, and has see through front doors for quick visual checks.  It is also possible to stack two ovens one on top of the other if there is a need for more than one CUBE per ward.

While the CUBE offers benefits to the patient and increases patient satisfaction, it also presents advantages to your food service department.  It will save you money in terms of food costs by decreasing the demand for new hot meals. Let’s put this in perspective:  If a patient demands a new hot meal when they are ready to eat, one whole meal will be wasted, which is on average $3 per meal per patient in terms of food costs. Thousands of dollars are spent each year on extra food, not to mention the waste cost.  This food cost is unnecessary and can be easily avoided by investing in the CUBE.  Food for thought!

Take a moment to analyze your food system, food costs, and food waste.  Think about your current practices in terms of late meal delivery and put yourself in the patient’s shoes.  Promising a patient a hot meal makes a difference.  For some, it is the highlight of their day.  The CUBE is your tool to ensure your promise is never an empty one.

Keep your eyes and ears open for the launch of the CUBE . . .  coming soon!