Hospital food

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Hospitals go " organic " and patients love it

By SARAH SKIDMORE, Associated Press WriterSun Sep 24, 6:57 PM ET

Patients at Good Shepherd Medical Center like the hospital food so much,

some come back to eat after their stay is over.

The food is cooked from scratch. The menu features offerings like wild

salmon and local organic produce. Even the pie has a hint of health,

packed with antioxidant-rich dried cherries.

" Oh man it was good, " said Mallory, a 21-year-old who stayed at

the hospital in rural Hermiston, Ore. for five days recently for the

birth of her son.

She was reticent about trying the naturally lean bison, but wound up

enjoying it. She also dined on pasta primavera with fresh vegetables.

She now makes a point of trying to meet her mom, who works at the

hospital, for lunch.

Good Shepherd is one of many hospitals across the nation offering food

that's healthier for patients, workers and the environment.

Some hospitals have created onsite farmers markets. Others have hired

chefs and former restaurant employees to run their kitchens.

" What we are trying to do is provide not just our patients, but

everybody that eats here, with foods that are health promoting, " said

Gummer, director of nutrition services at Good Shepherd.

The hospital no longer needs to modify each meal for a patient's sodium

or fat restrictions. Instead it serves healthy food to everyone. In just

one year, Gummer has been able to rid the hospital of all trans fats and

major additives.

Our bodies are " bombarded with this stuff all the time, " Gummer said.

" All our ingredients are actually food. "

Hospitals, which have typically served institutional food because of

labor or cost demands, are changing their approach.

" The purer and cleaner the food is, the better the ability of that food

to improve the health of people, " said Mark , manager of food,

nutrition and environmental services for St. Medical Centers in

the central Oregon cities of Bend and Redmond. " That is a key

recognition hospitals are making. "

Patients at 's hospitals can get fresh fruit smoothies or visit

the onsite farmers market.

Medical centers from California to North Carolina are hosting farmers

markets where patients and staff can grab fresh fruits and vegetables to

snack on, and some are even buying produce for the kitchen there. The

trend is more popular in the West, where produce is abundant.

The California-based health system Kaiser Permanente launched a farmers

market at its Oakland hospital in 2003. The system now has markets at 31

medical sites.

" Having it there for the benefit of the patients, our staff and the

neighborhood was a natural match with our mission of good health and

community support, " said Dr. Preston Manning, who is responsible for the

initial Kaiser market.

Hospitals have also begun using food practices that are friendlier to

the environment.

Catholic Healthcare West grows its own produce onsite at its Santa Cruz,

Calif., hospital. Fletcher Health Care in Vermont and others

compost food waste on site. A few have switched to fully biodegradable

sugarcane-based containers instead of Styrofoam. Room service-style food

is becoming prevalent for patients, which improves patient satisfaction

and reduces waste.

Coffee is organic fair trade, meat is antibiotic-free and milk is free

of added hormones at a number of facilities.

Some hospitals are even cracking down on the fattening treats at coffee

carts and vending machines.

" It is important that we recognize the connection between a healthy

earth and healthy human beings, " said Sr. Ellen Leciejewski,

ecology program coordinator for Catholic Healthcare West in Santa Cruz.

" If we don't have a healthy planet, we won't have healthy human beings. "

The efforts are earning good feedback from staff and patients, such as

those who schedule their appointments around farmers markets.

" You can't beat the taste, " said Yochim, 50, a nurse at Kaiser

Permanente in Portland as she visited a farmers market across the street

that the medical center worked with the community to develop.

" It is healthy, but you forget what a carrot is until you try one of

those, " she said, pointing to a nearby booth.

Retail sales at Oregon Health and Science University's hospital have

more than doubled in the past three or four years since making a number

of major changes, including adding vegan options, said Hiatt,

director of food and nutrition services.

This is good news for hospital budgets, because the majority of the food

used is for visitors or workers, rather than patients.

It's also good news for dietitians and nutritionists, who say staff

support is crucial to encourage changes for patients.

" We needed to walk the talk, " said , the food and nutrition

manager for Kaiser's Northwest region.

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