It’s what you would expect in an upscale hotel – made to order meals when you want them, delivered by a uniformed server. Now patients at Southeast Missouri Hospital have that option with the Hospital’s new "At Your Request"TM room service dining program.

"At Your Request" represents a revolution in hospital patient dining. Typically, meal choices in hospitals are limited, meal times are set by the institution and menu choices must be made a day in advance.

Southeast is the first hospital in the region to offer a room service program. It began in late 2004 and is getting rave reviews, says Hugh McGowan, Food and Nutrition Services Director. "Patients like the idea of ordering from a restaurant-style menu and getting the food they want, when they want it, prepared fresh just for them. This program really is all about customer service and changing the reputation that hospital food so often has."

From menus located at their bedside, patients may order their meals anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Unless a later time is requested, all meals are delivered within 45 minutes by an "At Your Request" server uniformed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers. There is no extra charge for the service.

Most patients admitted to the Hospital may use the service, McGowan says. Meal orders are placed with the Clinical Dietitians’ office. When placing an order, patients are counseled by a dietitian to make sure they are ordering food that is appropriate for them. "For instance, if a patient on a low sodium diet orders baked ham, a dietitian will suggest a patient-friendly, compatibile alternative."

Finding a tasty selection shouldn’t be difficult. The menu features nine entrees, 16 vegetables and sides, 13 deli or grilled sandwiches and more than a dozen desserts, along with entrée salads, pasta selections and beverages. The breakfast menu is just as extensive.

McGowan says some patients find something they particularly enjoy and repeatedly order that item. Others are more eclectic. "One patient ordered cheesecake, a doughnut, French toast, a chocolate chip cookie and chocolate milk. You can probably guess which unit that order went to – Pediatrics." McGowan adds that –just as at home – parents must approve their child’s selection.