Welcome to the First Issue of our Newsletter
Health Care Without Harm's Healthy Food in Health Care is kicking off Fall 2012 by launching our first newsletter for healthcare facilities and contractors. To be released quarterly, the Healthy Food in Health Care newsletter will feature the latest information about our sustainability initiatives, relevant policy updates, case studies from hospitals, and details about our resources. We hope this newsletter will be a useful tool for healthcare institutions and supporters who are interested in healthy and sustainable foods and agriculture.
For more information about Healthy Food in Health Care, please visit our website: http://www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org/
If you have an event you would like to publicize, or want to feature the sustainability efforts of your facility in this newsletter, contact Sapna Thottathil, Program Associate for Healthy Food in Health Care: sapna@sfbaypsr.org. We are especially looking to highlight hospitals and their holiday sustainability initiatives for our "News from the Field" area in the next issue.
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Pledge Update: 399 Hospitals and 7 Contractors
The Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge is a framework that outlines steps to be taken by the health care industry to improve the health of patients, communities, and the environment. By signing the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, facilities and food service contractors are demonstrating leadership, and are sending an important signal to the marketplace about their interest in local, nutritious, and sustainable food by modeling healthy food practices for patients, staff, and visitors. We would like to recognize the facilities and contractors who signed the pledge over the summer: Food Service ContractorsHHA Services, Michigan Metz Culinary Management, Pennsylvania Hospitals and Healthcare SystemsConnecticut Mental Health Center, Connecticut Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, WashingtonGrace Cottage Hospital, Vermont Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital, North Carolina Mad River Community Hospital, California North Memorial Health Care, Minnesota Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, Oregon Providence Medford Medical Center, Oregon Providence Milwaukie Hospital, Oregon Providence Newberg Medical Center, Oregon Providence Portland Medical Center, Oregon Providence Seaside Hospital, Oregon Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Oregon Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center, Oregon Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, WashingtonSuburban Hospital, Maryland
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Policy Update: Urging the FDA to Limit Antibiotics in Animal Agriculture
Rulings by a federal court in March and June  of 2012 directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out withdrawal proceedings for the use of penicillin and tetracyclines in animal feed and to evaluate the safety of using other medically important antibiotics in food animal production. In response, the FDA drafted proposed voluntary guidance on antibiotics in animal agriculture. While this was an important step towards improving the health of our food system and protecting human health, Healthy Food in Health Care believes the FDA should not replace enforceable limitations on antibiotic use with voluntary guidance.
In July, Health Care Without Harm submitted comments to the FDA on behalf of 45 hospitals and medical societies and 359 health and healthcare professionals concerned about overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture. This submission was part of a larger effort by individuals and organizations from across the country that urged the FDA to act on protecting medically important antibiotics.
Since July, Congress has begun to pay more attention to the issue of antibiotics in agriculture. On July 24th, Congress held a briefing on antibiotics use and animal welfare. The list of supporters for the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA, H.R. 965/S. 1211), also continues to grow. This bill is currently being referred to committees.
Healthy Food in Health Care recently developed a case study report of several hospitals reducing their meat or substituting for more sustainable meat. Our report details their successes and challenges. We invite you to view and download this resource, available on our website (pdf).
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News from the Field: Composting at Oregon Health & Science University and Waste Reduction Tips
 Americans produced over 34 million tons of food waste in 2010, 97% of which ended up in landfills, and landfills are continuing to grow to unmanageable sizes throughout the United States. Given this problem, several health care facilities are taking steps to reduce their waste output. In 2005, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) set up a composting system, and now diverts four tons of food waste from landfills each week. OHSU in Oregon is a teaching hospital with approximately 575 beds. It serves an average of 1,000 patient meals and 7,000 retail meals per day. OHSU composts its food scraps from its cafeteria, kitchen, and patients, and food-soiled, biodegradable serverware with a Somat Super 60 Pulper (see picture, above). The pulper grinds and deposits the waste into carts provided by the City of Portland's composting program. The City's waste management service collects the waste twice a week. The waste is then sent to Cedar Grove Composting in Washington State, where the compost is processed and sold throughout the region. OHSU's remodeling of its Food & Nutrition Department prompted the investment into composting. Although the pulper did have initial costs, and composting requires a 1.4 FTE, by participating in composting, OHSU is saving on garbage hauling costs sewage discharge fees from Portland. OHSU has also ultimately found that maintenance of the system is comparable in price to maintenance of a traditional disposal system. Read more about food waste strategies for hospitals in our regular column for Greenhealth magazine's upcoming "waste" issue: http://greenhealthmagazine.org/ |
About Us
The Healthy Food in Health Care Program is a national initiative of Health Care Without Harm, which works with hospitals across the country to help improve the health and sustainability of their food services. For more information about the Healthy Food in Health Care Program, and to access a variety of tools and resources, visit www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org.
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| Pledge Update | |
Total health care facilities: 399
Total contractors:
7
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| Upcoming Events | |
Balanced Menus Webinar, November 8
Learn how to reduce meat on your menus for your environment and health. Details and registration are available on our website.
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| Save the Date | Foodmed joins Cleanmed, April 24-26, 2013
Food Med is the nation's premier conference on sustainable foods in the health care sector - we look forward to seeing you there! |
New Resources
| 1. Implementing Healthy Beverage Policies in Hospitals, Recorded Webinar
By incorporating a healthy beverages program into a broader sustainable food policy, health care facilities can play an important role in promoting food choices that are beneficial for the health of their communities and the environment. The recording and details for this webinar, the first of HCWH's three-part webinar series, are now available online.
2. Health Care's Commitment to Sustainable Meat Procurement, Four Case Studies
Check out our new case study report of several hospitals reducing their meat or substituting for more sustainable meat, available on our website.
3. 10 Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guides
We recently partnered with Practice Greenhealth to compile 10 Environmentally Preferable Purchasing guides for use by GPOs and national distributors or foodservice companies. The final guides are now available here.
4. Farmworker Health and Safety
We are regular contributors to Practice Greenhealth's Greenhealth magazine. Check out our latest column on the issue of Farmworker Health and Safety here. |
| Contact Us | | For more information about the Healthy Food in Health Care Program, contact one of our regional organizers. |
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