WATERLOO - The orders start rolling in at 6:30 a.m.

One person wants french toast and orange juice.

Another will be satisfied with an omelet, fresh fruit and milk.

Though the orders sound like something one might call into a hotel kitchen, the selections are the new everyday fare for Allen Hospital patients. The hospital, which began offering room service to labor and delivery patients in 2004, recently began offering the amenity to all its patients.

"I came up in the restaurant business, and in a lot of ways, this is like that," said Mike Kruger, the kitchen's production lead. "This also makes it easier to control quality. We are cooking in smaller batches and per a patient's order so we can get it out quickly while it is still hot and fresh."

Similar services have been offered hospital wide at Sartori Memorial Hospital for two years and in the labor and delivery unit at Covenant Medical Center since March 2005.

It used to be that Allen patients would choose from a few select entrees for the meals they wanted the following day. Those meals would then be produced in bulk and delivered to patients at the designated breakfast, lunch and dinner times. The new system gives patients the opportunity to order breakfast anytime throughout the day and lunch or dinner options from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Lori Fincher, the hospital's dietitian, said the new system also allows patients to maintain the same schedule they had at home, which is especially important for patients with strict dietary needs. The kitchen offers several different menus which are tailored for specific diets. The kitchen recently began offering daily specials, like tuna and noodles or meatloaf, that have been especially popular with patients who have been in the hospital for a while, Kruger said.

Each patient can call down an order anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Nutrition office operators answer the phone and key the patient's room number into the computerized system. The program then pulls up the caller's dietary orders. Patients can order as little or as much as they want from the menu and the system will keep track of their chosen diet, including snacks.

For those who must watch what they eat - say they can only have a certain number of carbohydrates each day - the computerized system will track that information based on the orders.

"If a patient is trying to order something they shouldn't, the program will let us know so the operators can encourage them to order something different," Fincher said.

When the order is complete, the information is sent to three printers in the kitchen where staff can prep hot and cold items and double check an entire order before delivering it to the room. Delivery is guaranteed in 45 minutes or less.

"The patients just love it," said Ariana Witt, a kitchen employee who often delivers trays to the rooms. "My favorite is when they say 'Wow, that didn't take long.' One patient even loved it so much she wrote a note to the cook."

Contact Emily Christensen

at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.