Food Service

Second day in the office was fairly uneventful.  In the afternoon my RD colleague took me to visit the nutrition department and learn about what they do, who they are and what changes had been made due to the program that Hope is implementing.  Previous to the project, the nutrition staff primarily were in charge of food service management.  Now they do nutrition screenings on high risk admissions and also perform outpatient services.  For example, every Friday they have an pediatric obesity clinic.  They have also developed a variety of educational materials for parents on how to provide nutrition for their children with special health needs (i.e. oncology, cardiac).  In addition, I learned that do be a dietitian in China one requires only a certificate program and it is unusual for them to have an undergraduate degree.  Because of this, in this department there are three staff with PhDs in nutrition who oversee the work of the rest of the department and handle more complex calculations such as IV and tube feedings.

And speaking of food service.  Today was my first exposure to the staff cafeteria.  I had been warned to turn off certain senses before entering but was not really prepared for the onslaught of chaos and, shall we say, debris.  The food itself wasn't so bad, but the tables were covered with thin plastic which was changed between each group of diners in order to clear away bone, gristle and what ever else had not passed the palatability test.

This evening I ventured out on my own taking three separate subway lines and following detailed directions to meet two friends of my new DC housemate for dinner.  Both work for international companies and have been temporarily living in Shanghai.  It was very interesting hearing about daily life as an expat and an enjoyable evening out. Equipped with the hospital address in Chinese, I took a taxi back and managed to also find my way to the guesthouse.