GREENFIELD — Imagine working a 12-hour shift as a health-care worker on the front lines of the pandemic crisis, then needing to swing by the grocery on your way home.
To make life easier on its employees, Hancock Regional Hospital has set up a mini-mart in its cafeteria where associates can shop for a wide variety of foods.
“We’re trying to take a little bit of pressure off our folks in this environment. Everybody is under stress, and this is something we thought might be able to help our associates get some food without stopping at the store on their way home from work,” said Ty Hunt, the hospital’s director of nutritional services.
The mini-mart not only provides the convenience of skipping the stores; it also allows health-care workers the chance to avoid crowded grocery aisles, which can help reduce their potential exposure to infection outside the hospital.
Another positive note: The mini-mart is being staffed by hospital employees, many of whom are anxious to pick up extra hours after their shifts were cut due to pandemic-related cutbacks.
“We had to close the wellness centers and we’ve got associates who worked there and at several other departments who now have reduced hours, so we’ll call (human resources) and they’ll send us staff who can use the hours and we can keep them busy,” Hunt said.
The mini-mart is open to all hospital associates. “It can save them from having to go to the store and keep the social-distancing thing going, while also keeping another couple of hands busy working,” said Hunt.
The mini-mart is set up in the seating area of the hospital cafeteria, which is currently only offering room service to patients and carry-out meals. The tables that typically accommodate diners are now lined with a wide assortment of foods. There’s also a few fully-stocked refrigerated display units, including one that was loaned to the hospital by a vendor, Pepsico.
“We’ve got a decent selection of fresh produce like strawberries, grapes, apples and bananas, and onions, potatoes and asparagus. We’ve got ground beef, chicken, and some pork products, and dairy products like milk, cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. We’ve got eggs, butter and bread,” Hunt said. “We’ve also got some frozen things parents can take home for kids, like frozen pizza and Uncrustables.”
Peggy Welag, program director for Hancock Regional’s School of Radiologic Technology, has been delighted by the array of food available at the mini-mart.
“I think it is one of the most unique ideas I have heard about,” Welag said. “We are all putting in many additional hours at work trying to keep up with the changing environment, and this just makes our life much easier because it is a one-stop shop. Not to mention it also allows some of our displaced co-workers some additional hours they would not get otherwise.”
Hospital associates buy the food at cost as a benefit to employees. The hospital administration has been supportive of the program, Hunt said. “We’re blessed to work in a situation where it’s more than just a business. We’re supported fully by the administration to think outside the box and see how we can help others, and this is a great example of that,” he said.
Hunt, a classically trained chef who came up with the mini-mart concept, has a reputation for helping others. He also devotes his time to the Feast of Plenty community dinner each Thanksgiving and works with Mercy Chefs, a disaster relief organization. He’s been delighted to receive so much positive feedback on the mini-mart from grateful employees.
“We’ve had a lot of smiles,” he said. “This time for everybody is really stressful, so just to see someone smile and say how helpful it is, it’s just heartwarming.”
