FoodMed Joins CleanMed, April 24-26, Boston, MA
Welcome to our CleanMed issue. CleanMed  is the national conference dedicated to sustainability in the health care sector. This year's conference will take place in Boston, Massachusetts, from April 24-26.
This year, our FoodMed conference will be integrated with CleanMed. FoodMed has been Healthy Food in Health Care's bi-annual conference since 2005, and has been successful in bringing together leaders in health care food service, food distribution, public health, and sustainable agriculture, to improve food service operations in health care.
Healthy Food in Health Care has planned several events as a part of CleanMed. There will be many pre-conference activities, including the Food Matters workshop for health professionals interested in becoming advocates and supporters of healthy and sustainable food systems at their facilities, through their practice and in the public policy arena. Several pre-conference food-related tours are also planned for those interested in regional food systems and hospitals food services
Additionally, we're planning many healthy and sustainable food sessions during CleanMed. Check out some of the sessions here.
Finally, our Healthy Food in Health Care Awards will recognize leaders in food and sustainability in health care.
For more information, check out the CleanMed website. We look forward to seeing you next month in Boston! |
2013 Healthy Food in Health Care Survey and Awards Thank you to every facility who took our 2013 nation-wide Healthy Food in Health Care survey. This survey provides an opportunity to showcase progress of the health care sector in sustainable food service and advocacy. The 2011 Menu of Change report presented the stories and data gathered from from our 2011 survey, making a powerful case for sector transformation. Information and inspiration gathered from the 2013 survey will help us to continue this story-telling tradition to inspire the sector. The results of this year's survey will be detailed in our new 2013 Menu of Change report, to be released at CleanMed in Boston. The Menu of Change report will also contain a summary of our national programs, program highlights from 2012, and detailed information on the winners of the 2013 HFHC awards. Past Menu of Change reports can be found on our website. Eligible facilities that took our survey, and that are leaders and models in sustainable food, will be recognized in our bi-annual awards program at this year's CleanMed conference. This year, we will recognize winners in the categories of: Sustainable Food Procurement, Food Climate Health Connection, Clinical Advocacy and Engagement, and Exemplary Food Service Professional. First, second, and third place winners in each award category will receive complimentary registration to CleanMed. Award recipients will be notified on March 15. |
Policy Update: Antibiotics in Animal Agriculture Eighty percent of the antibiotics sold in the United States are used in animal agriculture. Many of these were given to animals for non-therapeutic purposes, to promote growth and counteract problems arising from crowded and unsanitary living conditions. The fact that the majority of medically-important antibiotics sold in this country are not used to treat sick human populations is a concern to human health. Antibiotic resistance is increasing, and there is a growing body of research that links antibiotic resistance to the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture. There is also a strong consensus among independent health experts, including the U.S. Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Science, and the World Health Organization, that antibiotic use in agriculture needs to be reined in. Several hospitals and school systems across the country are already committing to procuring meat raised without non-therapeutic antibiotics. Many of Healthy Food in Health Care's partner hospitals have signed onto our Balanced Menus Initiative, a two-tier strategy to reduce meat on menus, and invest in sustainable meat options. 2013 is going to be an active policy year for antibiotics in Washington. The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would prevent the use of several antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes in meat and poultry production, is expected to be reintroduced into Congress. This and last month, congressional hearings for the renewal of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) are taking place. ADUFA legislation requires that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports on antibiotics sales for animal agriculture, and these hearings will have discussions about how to expand ADUFA's reporting requirements and scope. There are also several guidance documents and voluntary proposals that the FDA is considering this year, to promote the judicious use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.
To learn more about antibiotics in animal agriculture and the threats to human health, stay tuned for our webinar series in May. Additional details will be available on our website soon. |
News from the Field: Vermont Hospital Food Service Retreat Invigorates and Energizes local food efforts In January, Health Care Without Harm partnered with Fletcher Allen Health Care to host a retreat in the mountains of Vermont for New England hospital food service workers. The purpose of the retreat was to provide educational content to help support the sustainable food work happening at their facilities. The beautiful setting was meant to regenerate the hard-working food service professionals, by reminding them of the environment that is being protected by their work (and also to provide them time to enjoy it). Programming included sustainable meat cooking demonstrations with chef, Deborah Krasner, and discussion with food writer and Washington Post contributor Jane Black, on food, obesity, and how to counter-balance the advertising and convenience factor of "fast food."  | | Vermont hospitals enjoyed a sustainable meat cooking demonstration |
Participants also heard from Dr. David Wallinga about the use of antibiotics in agriculture. Jack Henderson, Associate Director of Nutrition and Food Services at University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, presented on the HCWH-led California hospital leadership team that has been successful in aggregating demand from Bay Area hospitals to purchase produce from local farms. The retreat ended successfully with the first convening of Vermont's own hospital leadership team, and an agreement amongst Vermont hospital participants to work together to source more local foods through the leadership team format, which will meet regularly throughout the year.
To learn more about sustainable procurement in health care in New England, contact one of our New England organizers. |
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 Pledge Signers: 436
We welcome the following facilities who signed the pledge since December:-Kent Hospital, RI
-Medical University of South Carolina, SC -Southwest General Health Center, OH -University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center, OH -University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, OH -University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center, OH -Vidant Bertie Hospital, NC -Vidant Chowan Hospital, NC
Find out more about the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge online. |
| 519 Signatories Concerned about GE Salmon | | On February 24, Healthy Food in Health Care delivered a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on behalf of 519 hospitals and health care professionals, who voiced their concern about the FDA's cursory Environmental Assessment on AquAdvantage Genetically Engineered (GE) Salmon. Healthy Food in Health Care is deeply concerned about the impacts this salmon will have on human health, and also on the environment and the economy. Thank you to everyone who signed our letter. The comment period for GE Salmon has been extended to April, so stay tuned for updates. |
| Upcoming Events | 1. Boston Local Foods Trade Show, Boston, MA, March 19
Health Care Without Harm is partnering with Sustainable Business Network, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to put on a trade show where farmers can meet institutional buyers and prearrange purchasing relationships. More details are available on the trade show website.
2. Health and Environmental Implications of Meat Consumption and Production panel, DC Health Communications Conference, March 28-30
Louise Mitchell, Maryland Healthy Food in Health Care Coordinator, will speak about our Balanced Menus Initiative, a two-tiered approach for hospitals to reduce their meat and poultry purchases by 20 percent and invest their cost-savings in sustainable meat options. For more information, visit the conference website.
3. Supermoms Against Superbugs advocacy day, Washington DC, April 15-16
With several partner organizations including Health Care Without Harm, The Pew Charitable Trusts' campaign to reduce antibiotic overuse on industrial farms will hold its second annual Supermoms Against Superbugs advocacy day in Washington D.C. Pew is recruiting parents, farmers, chefs, and pediatricians to advocate against the routine use of antibiotics in food animals. On April 15 and 16, Supermoms and Superdads will come to the nation's capitol to lobby the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Congress, and the White House to rein in the overuse and misuse of our life-saving drugs in meat and poultry production-practices that are breeding superbugs that can infect us. Specifically, our advocates will ask the government to strengthen draft policies that FDA released last year. If you would like to be a 2013 Supermom or Superdad, please tell us your story here.
4. CleanMed Nurses Pre-conference and casual networking meeting, Boston, MA, April 24
The Nurses Workgroup of Health Care Without Harm is holding a pre-conference workshop on environmental health issues for nurses, which will discuss standards of practice to the safe handling of hazardous drugs. There will also be a casual nurses networking meeting for professional nurses and nursing students on Wednesday evening. For more information, contact Mary Margaret Thomas:
marymargaretthomas@
gmail.com |
| New Resources | Learn more about how health care facilities can create a healthy beverages program as part of a broader sustainable food policy. The recording and details for this webinar are now available online.
3. Greenhealth Magazine Column: What's Cookin'?
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| Share Your Story | If you would like more information about this newsletter, or would like to share your story in our next issue, contact Sapna Thottathil, Healthy Food in Health Care Program: sapna@sfbaypsr.org. |
| Contact Us | For more information about the Healthy Food in Health Care Program, contact one of our regional organizers. |
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