When you pass Piedmont Henry Hospital these days, you can’t help but see the construction of a brand-new patient tower. In 2026, the hospital will have 96 new patient rooms, as well as a brand-new kitchen, cafeteria, and doctor’s lounge. Until then, the dietary department, with its recently doubled staff, will continue to provide three meals a day for both patients and staff with a renewed focus on quality service and compassionate care.

“Last year, we prepared over 274,000 meals for patients and more than 256,000 meals for staff,” said Carol Stringer, Director of Nutrition Services for Piedmont Henry. “We had to add staff to meet the needs of the hospital and we’ll have to do it again when the new tower opens.”

When the expansion project is complete, the dietary department will have almost three times as much space as they do now. There will be a 132-seat cafeteria, as well as an outdoor dining area, a conference room, a new doctor’s lounge, and more.

“There will be a deli bar, an expanded salad bar, a pizza oven, and coffee vending throughout the hospital,” said Natallia Mazol, Manager of Dietary Services at Piedmont Henry.

Cooks arrive to start making breakfast for the hospital each day at 3 a.m. and things go full tilt until approximately 8 p.m. each evening. Patient meals are made and delivered by an attentive staff providing friendly interactions to patients and visitors. There is a small army of people washing dishes and keeping equipment and the kitchen and dining areas clean. There are also staff members serving visitors and staff members in the cafeteria and The Bistro, a coffee shop in the North Tower serving breakfast, lunch, coffee and snacks. Piedmont Henry also recently added The Marketplace, a grab and go micro-market available to staff and visitors 24/7, in the North Tower. The additional options, as well as the quality of the food, have proven to be a big hit.

“We had one doctor tell us we had the best breakfast in Henry County, hands down,” said Stringer. “Our team was high-fiving each other over that compliment.”

The department creates a menu for a month at a time. They have been intentional about adding more variety and more of an international flair. Throughout the year, the dietary department has also worked with the hospital’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to create special menus for particular observances. In October, they held a special event for Hispanic Heritage Month, which featured Cubano sandwiches, a taco bar, and Horchata.

“We really encourage getting feedback and suggestions,” said Mazol. “It really helps us improve and ultimately leads to our success.”

In addition to the new options available for visitors and staff at Piedmont Henry, patients will have a new experience ordering food starting in the spring of 2025. The hospital will move to a cloud-based ordering system and patients will get to select items from what their diet allows. This will lead to more variety and more choices.

“Even if a menu has to be modified due to a health condition, we want the food to taste good and be appealing for all,” said Stringer. “Good nutrition is vital to the healing process; not only physically, but also emotionally. Comfort and a good meal play an important role for both the patient and the family.”

Stringer has been in the nutrition business for 37 years, starting out as a dietitian. She has been at the hospital in Henry County for 25 years and has been in her current role for close to a year.

“This position has given me a new perspective on patient care,” said Stringer. “The dietary services department plays a significant role in the business of healing.”

Her team is a dedicated group of individuals that treats each other like family. There are established veterans, some like Audrey Chandler, who have served at the hospital for 21 years, as well as others who have only been on the team for a few months. The perspectives of these two groups are aligned behind Piedmont’s mission to make a positive difference in every life they touch.

“I enjoy being able to interact with the patients,” said Michelle Holland, a shift supervisor for dietary services. Holland has been with Piedmont Henry for eight years. “I appreciate being able to put a smile on someone’s face and brighten their day.”

Piedmont Henry’s dietary team has hundreds of thousands of encounters each year and has a significant impact on the reputation of the hospital.

“The staff is the heartbeat of this hospital,” said Stringer. “Their work ethic is incredible. They take a sense of ownership in our success.”

While the new patient tower continues to rise, Piedmont Henry’s dietary services department will continue to make improvements as they prepare to move into their new space. The team is energized by all they have accomplished thus far, and excited to aim even higher in the near future.

By Michael Boylan