Special Needs Volunteers Prepare Patients for Delivery of Room Service Trays

A program at Mercy Health in Cincinnati brings volunteers with special needs to patient rooms in advance of meal deliveries, significantly upping patient satisfaction scores, reports local news channel WKRC (link includes video). While trained nutrition department staff actually deliver the room service style meals, the volunteers, part of a work study program that brings students with special needs out into the community as an extension of the classroom, enter the rooms to announce that the meal is on the way and prepare the area where the tray will be placed. Patient satisfaction is reportedly up about 10 percent since the program was launched.