Nutrition and Food Services

The Nutrition and Food Services Department is dedicated to provide quality nutrition and food services that reflect our commitment to providing quality health care to our patients, staff and the community. Our registered dietician and nutrition team recognizes the important role nutrition and food services play in the health and satisfaction of our patients. CLICK HERE to see detailed information about Fairview's clinical nutrition services.

Fairview Hospital was the first hospital in Massachusetts to commit to the "Healthy Food in Health Care" Pledge with Health Care Without Harm, a national organization dedicated to improve the quality and sustainability of food products in healthcare facilities. To see many of the steps that Fairview has taken to make the hospital and community a healthier place, click here.

Patient Services
Our goal is to provide nutritional care and foodservices in a courteous and professional manner that enhances the experience during the patient's stay at Fairview Hospital. Patients receive their meals by calling x 3663 (FOOD). 

Our fresh-to-order, Room Service Program is artfully presented in a restaurant style menu with diverse offerings and nutritional information to help patients choose foods appropriate to their physician recommended diet. Each meal is prepared to the meet both health needs and personal preferences of the individual patient. Our personable staff recognizes the role of quality food and nutrition as a vital part of the hospital healing environment. Each member of our staff is committed to quality and assuring patient expectations are met.

Fairview Hospitals offers the liberalized diet plan, which allows the patient to choose the foods they want to eat and improves the opportunity to educate the patient on how to make healthy choices when discharged.

Guest and holiday trays are available to patients and their families. Kosher, vegetarian and special meal requests are available.

Dining Services
Mason's Café provides breakfast, lunch and dinner in a European-style restaurant with tables and booths for dining. To view the current Café Menu, please click here.

The menu features fresh, locally grown ingredients and changes daily. Healthy food options, including a fresh salad bar, homemade, low fat soups and entrees are available during service hours Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. - 6:15 p.m and weekend and holiday hours 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Mason's Café is located on the Ground Floor near the Main Lobby. Vending services are available 24 hours a day in the outer café.

Clinical Nutrition

Inpatient:
Fairview Hospital provides nutrition care and counseling for both inpatient and outpatients. In the inpatient setting, a Registered Dietitian does nutrition screening, assessment, teaching, support, and monitoring for all patients.  The Dietitian may recommend special diets, feedings, supplements or behaviors as part of your care.

Outpatient:
Fairview Hospital is committed to the health of our community and offers Outpatient Nutrition Services to those who are ill, living with chronic illness, trying to change how they eat, or just trying to stay healthy.

Our Registered Dietitians will work with you to set goals. Based on your personal and medical needs we will develop an action plan just for you. Each counseling session includes teaching and behavioral counseling.  Keeping your goals in mind, at each visit we will work with you to get over any barriers. We also help you stay motivated, mindful and inspired.  As part of the team, your doctor will be updated on your progress.

Outpatient Nutrition Services include the following focus areas:

• Cardiac Nutrition: cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, body weight and stress lowering
• Congestive Heart Failure Nutrition:  salt use, potassium and other minerals, fluid intake, body weight
• Weight Management: At the core of our weight management program is behavior change, including stress management, self-care, exercise and self awareness
• Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, compulsive/obsessive eating, adolescent eating concerns
• Diabetes: carb counting, lower glycemic diets, fiber therapy, weight loss and exercise
• Digestive Health: reflux, bowel problems, obstruction, post surgical eating, mal-absorption, IBS, drug side effects, and biotic imbalance
• Infant/Child/Teen Nutrition: Operation Better Start serves infants to age 22 and their families. Treating obesity, failure to thrive, high blood pressure, food allergies, GI disorders, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes/ diabetes and sports nutrition

If you have concerns about your nutrition, or wish to know more about how proper nutrition plays a role in your health, please ask your doctor for a referral to Fairview Hospital’s Nutrition Services.

To learn more, please call 413-854-9661.

Catering
Nutrition Services provides a wide variety of catering options and menus serving the diverse needs of the hospital community including physician and administrative meetings, special  receptions and the Fairview Hospital Golf Classic. All options are high quality and reasonably priced. To arrange a special event, please click here to access the catering form.

Department Contact
Roger Knysh, Director of Nutrition and Food Services
Phone: 413-854-9618
Fax: 413-854-9887
E-mail: rknysh@bhs1.org