Health Care Without Harm Announces Sustainable Food in Health Care Awards

Awards Recognize Hospitals and Staff Implementing Sustainable Food Programs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Healthy Food in Health Care (HFHC) Program is pleased to announce the inaugural winners of its Annual Sustainable Food Awards.  The awards recognize significant achievement as well as leadership in health care food service; and are intended to spur competition to achieve measurable, lasting results; to encourage continuous improvement, with an emphasis on quantitative versus qualitative results; and to increase benchmarking  progress in sustainable operations in health care food service.  The Awards will be presented at the 2011 FoodMed conference in Seattle, Washington.

"We are so pleased to launch this inaugural round of Sustainable Food awards, with the winners representing eight states and 10 health care facilities," stated Gary Cohen, President and Founder, Health Care Without Harm.  "These awards are a new important way to recognize the advances and innovation in hospital food service, which are taking place in facilities all over the country."

The facilities eligible for the awards have taken the HCWH Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, or met minimum eligibility requirements, and completed the HFHC Survey, from which facilities and individuals who meet the individual award criteria are chosen.  The results of the surveys will be reported in the HFHC 2011 Menu of Change Report.  

"We're honored to receive this award from Health Care without Harm, which along with other great partners in Vermont and beyond has helped us create a model food service that supports our mission to provide the highest quality of care and to be responsible stewards of the environment," stated Diane Imrie, Director of Nutrition Services, from Fletcher Allen Health Care of Burlington, VT, which won first place in both the Sustainable Procurement Food Award and the Public Policy and Advocacy Award categories.  "Transforming our program has been an exciting and rewarding journey for Fletcher Allen, and this recognition will serve to encourage our efforts to assist other institutions that want to follow the same path."

Concerns about the health of patient, staff and visitors have led many health care food services to make major changes in their food procurement, preparation and nutrition.  Many facilities are incorporating more healthy menus, and using fresh, sustainable ingredients, ranging from poultry raised without the use of routine, non-therapeutic antibiotics, to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Many facilities now host farmer's markets, compost their food waste, and provide education on nutritious, sustainable foods to their food service staff, procurement agencies and suppliers.  

"Hospitals are engaging with their suppliers to source more healthy sustainable food choices, and we have seen a change in many of the supplier offerings in response to hospital requests," said Emma Sirois, Program Director, Health Care Without Harm Program, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. "Many of these hospitals have worked for years to implement these changes, and these awards are a small token to honor the tremendous work being done by health care food service staff to improve the health of the nation."

The following are descriptions of the awards and a listing of the 2011 Sustainable Food Award winners.

SUSTAINABLE FOOD PROCUREMENT AWARD

The purpose of this award is to recognize up to three leading facilities that, through their food purchasing decisions, promote health by providing sustainable food choices for patients, staff, and the community.

PUBLIC POLICY & ADVOCACY AWARD

The purpose of this award is to recognize up to three leading facilities that have expressed their support for a healthy food system through their endorsement for and education and advocacy on public policy.

FOOD CLIMATE HEALTH CONNECTION AWARD

The purpose of the Food Climate Health Connection Award is to recognize up to three leading facilities that are taking significant steps toward reducing their climate footprint.

CLINICAL ENGAGEMENT AWARD

The Clinical Engagement Award is meant to recognize up to three leading clinical health professionals for making the critical link between our industrialized food system and public health. The award encourages innovative program development and educational outreach.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 430 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care industry worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH, see www.noharm.org.  HCWH's Healthy Food in Health Care (HFHC) Program works with hospitals across the country to help improve the sustainability of their food services. Founded in 2005, the program provides education, tools, resources, and support to health care facilities making the connection between the health of their patients, staff and community and the food they serve. Ultimately the program works to support hospitals in leveraging their purchasing power and health expert status to promote a healthier food system. By purchasing foods that are produced, processed and transported in ways that are protective of public and environmental health, hospitals can make a profound difference in the market and in the food settings of the people they serve.  To learn more about HCWH's Healthy Food in Health Care Program visit: www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org.

SOURCE Health Care Without Harm