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QUINCY, ILL. -- Blessing Hospital is serving up hotel-style room service beginning Wednesday.

Patients will be able to order what they want to eat, when they want to eat it.

In the past, patients have been served meals at specific times, but were able to make choices from available menu items.

Now, room service menus will be placed in patient rooms with orders taken by phone from 6:30 in the morning to 6:30 at night. Meals will be delivered to patient rooms within 45 minutes.

“It’s a change of focus toward what patients want, when they want it, versus a traditional meal schedule,” John Roedl, director of Food and Nutrition said. “It allows patients to control a little piece of their life during their stay in the hospital. That goes a long way, and it will make them happier. We’re really excited about that.”

According to Blessing Hospital, benefits for the patients include:

-  Convenience and flexibility, which results in a greater sense of control of the meal experience;
-  A larger selection of items to choose from, including standard favorites – sandwiches, pizza and other restaurant-style foods, with menus individualized based on a patient’s diet order;
-  The ability to eat breakfast items any time of day within the 6:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. timeframe; and
-  Increased interaction with the Food and Nutrition hostess.

“What really makes room service special is that the menu from which the patient orders is already adapted to his or her respective dietary restrictions,” Roedl said. “The host or hostess assures that all of the patient’s preferences and needs are being met.”

An added benefit for Blessing Hospital is that the room service model minimizes food waste because the patient orders only what he or she wants to eat. This results in lower food costs while improving satisfaction.