The birth of a new baby is a big deal at a hospital as keen as Powell Valley is to be known as top destination for expecting mothers in the region.

So, since 2016, the nutrition staff has been wheeling in a nice wooden tray with food more likely to be seen in a steakhouse than a hospital to celebrate new parents after the birth of a child.

"A lot of hospitals don't have an OB department, so we wanted to really step up with our Baby Friendly designation and really focus on our patients to give them something to celebrate about," said Travis Tucker, the hospital's nutrition services director. "It's a chance for mom and dad to have a few minutes of peace and quiet, reflect on everything that's happened, to just have a nice sit down meal to celebrate. So it was just a really big push to make the whole experience of having childbirth here at the hospital a little more pleasurable, A little more memorable."

The program is funded by the Powell Hospital Foundation, which has its big annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser coming up in February. Tucker said having a supportive organization has allowed his department to pursue something that otherwise wouldn't be in the budget. But with the extra funds, they can make a memorable meal.

The set menu (they can work with special requests) offers the choice of three entrees, including a baseball cut steak, tempura-fried shrimp or chicken alfredo. Sides include mashed potatoes, baked potatoes and a variety of vegetables, as well as desserts such as hot fudge and strawberry sundaes and strawberry shortcake. The meal is topped with nice glasses of sparkling cider.

"It definitely catches them off guard," Tucker said. "They're used to somebody coming in with a tray, your typical hospital food they get throughout their experience here for room service. We go to the extent of actually having them wheel down this cart with a tablecloth and it's all set up fancy and all they have to do is sit at one end of the table and eat."

For the last three months the nutrition department has taken the service to another level to ensure all new parents who want it have the opportunity. Where previously the service had only been offered ater noon as more of a dinner, now they're working to provide the meals whenever works best for the new parents.

"The food staff feel really proud of it," said Nicole Ostermiller, chief operations officer, at January's hospital board meeting. "They're just thinking outside the box, and we don't have to limit it to once a day."

Tucker treasures the times when he gets to step in for the head cook and deliver the meal personally. He said it's a chance for the staff to congratulate the new parents and make the moment just a bit more special than it already is.

He recalled one time bringing down a fancy dinner and seeing that the couple had some of their older children with them, so Tucker and his staff had chicken fingers brought down for them. Another woman, when seeing the tempura battered shrimp, said she was gluten free, so Tucker noted they had fresh raw shrimp and could whip something up special for her.

In at least one instance that wooden tray being rolled in has made someone itching to leave reconsider.

"A friend of mine just had baby, and she was all ready to go," recalled foundation director Amy Wells. "Then they rolled in that fine dining cart and she said, 'OK, I’ll stay.'"