If hospital food is a joke, why aren't we laughing?

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:02:47 -0500

To be fair, I've never had bad hospital food. I've never even seen it, that is not until I visited the VA Hospital in Long Beach, California.
In the interests of complete disclosure I have eaten plenty of hospital food, but never in a VA hospital. I've eaten it while a patient in civilian hospitals as well as military hospitals. I was stationed for a time at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii where I was a patient for a week with my second bout of malaria. My first hospital stay with malaria was in an Army field hospital in Vietnam where I contracted it, and the food wasn't too bad even there.
I can't speak to the food served at other VA hospitals, but my expectations aren't very high. The food being served at the Long Beach VA Hospital is prepared at the one in West Los Angeles and trucked to Long Beach. The kitchens at the Long Beach VA hospital are closed for lack of sufficient funds in the federal budget. Congress could allocate more or the President could rearrange his priorities, but they have more important matters on their minds.
I wasn't aware of the problem at the Long Beach VA facility even though I had helped my VFW post serve pizza and barbecue to the patients on several occasions. However, our food delivery was delayed this past weekend and we were distributing pizza at the same time that the hospital staff were serving the patients their regular meals. The food they were serving looked like soggy noodle slathered in canned tomato sauce accompanied by government surplus green beans. Reheating everything with steam had congealed it all into a pasty mass. Inasmuch as we first taste our food with our eyes, I was not impressed. I suspect that neither were the patients. They pushed their plates aside to make room for the pizza and salad we were delivering.
Many of the patients were fortunate to have visitors and friends bringing in outside food. Even the fare from McDonald's looked far more nutritious than that served by the hospital. Sadly, not all patients have visitors to bring them relief from the poor food service let alone the hours, days, weeks, and months of tedium while laid up in the hospital.
You can help. Write to your representatives in Washington. If you are the member of a community service organization, propose that it adopt the nearest VA Hospital and visit as frequently as possible. Veterans as well as active duty military are especially welcome because they can relate well with the patients. Even if you are not a veteran or a member of a group, you will be welcome as an individual who cares. Talk to the hospital staff beforehand to learn the rules and ask to be directed to those with the greatest need.
Trust me, you will be rewarded...

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2015 11:06 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:06:29 -0500

The hospital food at my VA facility is pretty good. It's not Outback Steakhouse, but still pretty good!

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2015 11:07 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:07:16 -0500

I know how everyone claim hospital food is ... but I worked in many many hospital while I am in my previous job ... I always love their food ... don't know why.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Dec 14 at 2015 11:10 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:10:21 -0500

In every serious surgery I ever had over teh past 40 years. I was released within one day of solid food CPT Jack Durish. My most memorable was recovering from mitral valve repair surgery where i had leaked 15 units and it took days to drain the blood out of my chest cavity. After about 6 days I was allowed to eat a package of saltine crackers. Nothing had ever tasted so good to me as those saltines which were my diet for the next four days or so.
I have had good and fair food in hospitals including military ones. I am glad I never had bad food.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 14 at 2015 11:26 AM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:26:33 -0500

I was going to buy lunch at the Leavenworth VA but it looked like grandmas kitchen, and they wanted $11.

Response by MSgt John Taylor made Dec 14 at 2015 11:45 AM

MSgt John Taylor — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:45:36 -0500

Last Feb, I recently had a 10 day stay at my local hospital following emergency surgery. I can't begin to tell you what great meals I had. I was able to order from a menu, and all my food was seasoned. My wife got prime rib there while visiting me. In the few follow up appointment I had after I was discharged, I made a point of eating lunch at the hospital!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2015 12:43 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 12:43:03 -0500

LRMC's food was pretty good.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Dec 14 at 2015 8:58 PM

PO1 John Miller — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:58:40 -0500

Last time I had hospital food was during my own stay at Crippler (I mean Tripler) Army Medical Center in Hawaii when I was laid up with gastritis. I can't speak too much on it though since they had me restricted to a liquid diet. It was definitely not satisfying, but at least they brought me pictures of water whenever I asked.