It’s Time for the Bi-annual National Healthy Food in Health Care Survey!

If you are as committed to data as we are, feel free to skip over the next few paragraphs and go straight to the survey or download a PDF to review the questions. If you have already pulled your purchasing data, the survey should take about 15 minutes.

Surveys must be completed by Midnight, April 21, 2017 DEADLINE EXTENDED Midnight April 28, 2017

If you wonder whether it matters whether YOU complete the survey, we want to assure you, it matters. A lot. The power of the data lies in the aggregation from across the full network. And YOU are a critical part of the Healthy Food in Health Care network. Without each of you individually, there is no network.

Take a look at The 2015 Menu of Change Report and you will be amazed by all progress made by the network.  We couldn't develop this report without the information provided through this survey.

Do you wonder what the information is used for? How does it help you get toward your goals of purchasing more local and sustainable foods?

The Healthy Food in Health Care team works on your behalf to shift the supply chain so that it is easier and more affordable to purchase local and sustainable foods. The most powerful tool we have in this work is your collective voice and aggregated demand for these products. This survey is a chance to use your voice and tell us your story. It is a unique opportunity (once every two years) for you to articulate your demand for these products. And it does have an impact.

For example, Black River Meats was able to invest in a processing facility that expanded access to local and sustainable meat in New England, because they were confident that the market for this product existed. Your demonstrated demand was part of what provided that confidence.

Sean Buchanan, President of Black River Meats expressed “great pride”  at seeing the increased commitment to use more fresh and local ingredients in the healthcare industry. 

Health Care Without Harm’s partners are making great strides to move away from chicken fingers and towards healthier and sustainable food sourcing for their patients and staff,” he stated, “ [the] demonstrated commitment to these products enabled us to expand our business and better serve the New England region.

The John Merck Fund, a regional food systems funder, bases their grant programming on a theory of change: “[By] increasing the amount of food that large institutions buy from New England producers, it will help ensure both better nutrition for some of the most vulnerable among us, particularly children, low-income families and hospital patients and a stronger agricultural economy for the region.”

Christine James, Director of Programs at John Merck Fund, underscores the need for purchasing data stating that:

“The only way to know if our farm-to-institution grantmaking is having its intended impact is to track reliable sources of real-world data over time—e.g., the amount of food hospitals, universities, K-12 schools and the like purchase, where they purchase it from, how much they pay for it, and which farmers, food producers, and other supply chain businesses benefit from those purchases.”

We hope that you will join HCWH and your healthcare colleagues in completing the survey so that we are able to share your successes with funders like John Merck Fund and convey your needs to the supply chain so that we can continue to make positive changes toward a sustainable food system, together.

Take the Survey


 

Practice Greenhealth members: This survey is consistent with the food questions in the annual awards application. You’re receiving this survey request because Practice Greenhealth did not receive a response to the food section of the awards application.