Fresher Meals for Inpatients? You Helped Make It Happen!
Published Monday, April 6, 2026
Pictured (L-R) Evee Hamilton, Supervisor, Nutrition and Food Services and Stephanie Rowan, Manager, Nutrition and Food Services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre with one of the new delivery carts.
The Hospital's previous Blast Chill/retherm meal-time system used for the past 21 years was actually pretty ingenious. Meals were prepared a few days in advance based on projected numbers. They were flash-frozen to preserve most of that freshness, and then warmed when needed. Those meals were nutritious and almost as fresh as you could get.
Almost.
Today, a new system called Cook/Serve allows all meals to be prepared and served the same day, creating a fresher and tastier dining experience for inpatients at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. This shift marks a significant evolution that aligns directly with the Hospital's Strategic Plan to modernize and enhance food service delivery.
It couldn't have happened without your support of new delivery carts and trays that help staff in the Hospital kitchen cook meals fresh to order. If you donated to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, participated in a Foundation event, or purchased Thunder Bay 50/50 tickets, you helped improve the eating experience for hundreds of patients every day.
“It's really about the patient experience,” said Stephanie Rowan, Area General Manager of the Hospital's meal service provider, Sodexo. “Cook/Serve is the current standard now in hospitals, where meals are prepared on the same day.”
That's no small feat considering our Hospital serves about 375 meals each mealtime or 1,125 meals daily on average. It's like serving a large wedding three times per day, every single day.
At the centre of the Cook/Serve system are the new hot boxes purchased with your generous donations – though “hot box” is a bit of a misnomer. The insulated transport boxes on wheels are specially designed high-tech carts to keep the hot side like dinners hot, and the cool side like salads and desserts cool, no matter where in the Hospital the meals are going. Staff can monitor both sides of the serving tray to ensure optimal serving temperature.
“The new delivery boxes are an important part of meal service,” Rowan said. The kitchen area is on the first floor next to the cafeteria, which means meals can travel a fair distance to units. Keeping meals at the right temperature is crucial for patient satisfaction. “We had to keep distance in mind to ensure meals arrive at the right temperature.”
The new system and hot boxes are also more sustainable. The new hot boxes use less energy because they are keeping meals warm rather than reheating from frozen. The system itself also reduces food waste. Since inpatients are discharged from the Hospital all the time, planning days ahead means some patients wouldn't be at the Hospital any longer.
So far, patient satisfaction with meals has increased with the new Cook/Serve system, as fresh, same-day meals have been well received by patients.
Your support of the new trays and delivery cart system helped put the new Cook/Serve program into action. You've helped improve the patient experience for hundreds of inpatients, every day! Find out more about the impact you have with every donation you make, every Foundation event you attend, and every Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket you purchase on our website: healthsciencesfoundation.ca/news
Article By: Graham Strong