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Comfort Serves Patient Meal No. 4,000

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070729-01
Release Date: 7/29/2007 10:23:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elizabeth R. Allen, USNS Comfort Public Affairs

ACAJUTLA, El Salvador (NNS) -- After just five weeks, hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) served patient meal number 4,000 July 28.

Beginning with the first patient who checked aboard the ship in Belize June 20, more than 4,000 meals were served to patients and escorts. They may spend several hours to three to four days on the ship, depending on the care they require, so in that time, they are served three square meals a day.

“Patients and their escorts tend to really like our food and are open to trying everything,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Tammy Lindberg, a registered dietitian in charge of patient meals. “What we find when we go out in the community is that a lot of people lack a balanced diet. So we try to provide a balanced meal that meets their nutritional needs.”

Patient and escort meals are prepared at the same time the galley is open to the ship’s crew. Food is arranged on plates, covered with aluminum foil and transported to patients throughout the ship.

“In a normal hospital, there are set hours for meals,” Lindberg said. “Here, we have patient fluctuations, and as they move all over the ship, from casualty and receiving one minute, to pre-op, the Comfort Inn (ward), [and] surgery [the next]--the challenge has been locating the patients to feed them.”

A four-person crew prepares every meal for patients and their escorts, and their teamwork is key, said Culinary Specialist Seaman James Monoski.

“We work well as a team,” Monoski said. “Now that we have patient and escort meals down to an art, we can prepare over 150 meals an hour.”

Not only do patients receive medical treatment aboard Comfort, they also experience American food – hamburgers, meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas and carrots, and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, all thoughtfully prepared by this team.

Comfort is on a four-month humanitarian deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean providing medical treatment to patients in a dozen countries.