Bronson Battle Creek Hospital
Reliable long-term operation: M-iQ dishwashing machine gets results in Michigan
"If I needed to buy another machine of that size, I would definitely buy another one from MEIKO."
Serving more than 200,000 people in south central Michigan, this hospital is part of the Bronson healthcare system that employs almost 9,000 staff serving patients and families throughout southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.
In 2014 the hospital purchased a new M-iQ dishwasher, following comparative bids with another major manufacturer. MEIKO offered the best savings and helped make the dish room more efficient for staff to work. Two years later, Director of Food and Nutrition Services, John Fear, provides his feedback on how the new machine has performed.
What exceeded your expectations about our product, service, or company?
A: The fact that the machine can run from 7:00 am-9:00 pm, 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. There were some technical issues at the beginning but the machine has never had any downtime.
What surprised you or made you the most happy about working with our company?
A: Having the parts that need to be cleaned at the end of the day coded blue makes it very easy to be cleaned at the end of the shift. The MEIKO machine is very reliable.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
A: The folks that operate the machine like the machine. It is simple to operate, it’s easy to clean and easy to take temperature readings that are required three times a day.
There was some apprehension with dealing with a manufacturer so far away, but there was a local company that was certified to work on MEIKO machines. MEIKO even provided training for the local Bronson Hospital vendor in Nashville. Whenever Bronson Hospital had a service call on their MEIKO machine, the MEIKO service department would follow up to ensure that everything was working properly and that all their issues had been addressed.
There was a recurring issue with an internal valve. The engineers in Germany authorized a non-MEIKO part after they researched it. That allowed for the repair to happen more quickly than if the part had to be manufactured in Germany and shipped to the US. The support was good. The follow-up was good. All repairs met with Bronson Hospital’s satisfaction.
Bronson Battle Creek has been honored by the Michigan Health & Hospital Association for its ‘Operation Fit’ program
That level of service isn’t received from most equipment manufacturers. “If faced with purchasing another machine of that size, I would definitely purchase another MEIKO.”
Bronson Battle Creek has been honored by the Michigan Health & Hospital Association for its ‘Operation Fit’ program, a school-based initiative to lower childhood obesity in Calhoun County. The program includes several activities to boost students’ health, including morning movement, breakfast in the classroom, structured recess and ‘brain breaks’. Teachers get activity tool kits to teach kids about nutrition and healthy behaviors and staff and families can also enjoy healthy cooking demonstrations.
