Patient’s appetite returns, thanks to special meal order

A patient from China wasn’t eating well and craved traditional food from home, so the nutrition services team at found a way to replicate a dish that restored her appetite.

“The patient’s visitor had a picture of what she wanted to eat and asked, ‘Do they have this?’” said Marsha Beisner, acute care nurse, adding that when she explained it wasn’t on the menu, the visitor said the ingredients were simply eggs, oil and water.

Beisner called nutrition services, and Olivia Aranda, food services lead, worked with Tony Lopez, cook, to create a custom order for the item, which was similar to custard.

“It wasn’t a problem. It was something that they really wanted,” Lopez said. “As long as we have the products, we’ll go out of our way.”

Lopez prepared the dish, and the team delivered the special dish to the patient’s room. A short time later, Sophia Bergman, nutrition assistant, received another request from Beisner: They wanted the ingredients so the visitor could make another batch in the microwave. Soon, the fresh items arrived in the room.

The patient was appreciative. And after she had eaten, her energy improved. She was able to get out of bed, and Beisner took her outside in a wheelchair.

“It really helped lift her spirits that day,” Beisner said. “It gave her motivation to do what she needed to do.”

Lopez said that while this was the first time he’d received this particular request, the team frequently creates meals to cater to patients’ preferences. Sometimes, that might include a quick shopping trip to purchase gluten-free buns, for example.

Aranda said she is happy that the food services team was able to collaborate with Beisner to improve the patient’s hospital experience.

“Although we were the individuals that day who created this custom order for the patient, any other cook, nutrition assistant or call center agent would have done the exact same thing,” Aranda said. “We all try our best to do the most for patients within our ability.”

Lopez joined Medical Center of the Rockies in 2022 after moving from Miami. Bergman started in 2024 after studying nutrition at Colorado State University, and Aranda studied psychology at Grand Canyon University before joining MCR in 2020.

Beisner, who has been with Medical Center of the Rockies since 2019, was featured in You Make Extraordinary Possible in January after providing encouragement to a patient with a tiny ladybug she crocheted.