Navicent Health Commits to Uphold Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge
Atrium Health Navicent representatives have signed the international Healthy Food in Healthcare pledge, committing - along with its food service partner Morrison Healthcare - to uphold the following promises:
Work with local farmers, community-based organizations and food suppliers to increase the availability of locally-sourced food.
Encourage vendors to supply food that is, among other attributes, produced without synthetic pesticides and hormones or antibiotics given to animals in the absence of diagnosed disease and which supports farmer health and welfare, and ecologically protective and restorative agriculture.
Increase offerings of fruit and vegetables, nutritionally-dense and minimally processed, unrefined foods and reduce unhealthy (trans and saturated) fats and sweetened foods.
Implement a program to identify and adopt sustainable food procurement, including the adoption of rBGH free milk, fair trade coffee, or introduction of organic fresh produce.
Educate and communicate within our system and to our patients and community about our nutritious, socially just and ecological sustainable food practices and procedures.
Minimize or beneficially reuse food waste and support the use of food packaging and products which are ecologically protective.
Develop a program to promote and source from producers and processors which uphold the dignity of family, farmers, workers and their communities and support sustainable and humane agriculture systems.
Report annually on implementation of this Pledge.
"Atrium Health Navicent has long history of providing nutritious and healthy meal options for our patients, visitors and staff. We also seek to purchase products that are socially just, such as fair trade coffees. As a responsible provider of healthcare services, we are choosing to deepen our commitment not only for the health of our patients, visitors and staff, but also to our local and global communities and our environment," said Tim Slocum, Vice President of System Support Services for Atrium Health Navicent.
"We are deeply committed to creating and sustaining healthy eating behaviors through patient education, teaching kitchens, prescriptive patient and retail menus. Through this initiative and our WellPower platform, we have an enormous opportunity in partnership with Atrium Health Navicent to continue influencing the eating habits of patients, hospital employees, and guests," said Senior National Director of Wellness & Sustainability for Morrison Healthcare. In addition to serving patients in their rooms, the 830-bed Atrium Health Navicent operates numerous cafeterias, cafes and eateries throughout its health system in locations including Carlyle Place, Atrium Health Navicent; The Medical Center, Navicent Health; Medical Center of Peach County, Atrium Health Navicent; and Rehabilitation Hospital, Atrium Health Navicent.
The pledge was created by Health Care Without Harm, an organization that seeks to transform healthcare worldwide, without threat to patient safety or harm, so that the industry becomes ecologically sustainable and a leading advocate for environmental health. For more information, please visit https://noharm-uscanada.org/.
About Atrium Health Navicent
Atrium Health Navicent was incorporated on November 17, 1994, as a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose is to coordinate the Medical Center, Navicent Health and other affiliated entities in their mission of providing a comprehensive continuum of high quality, reasonably priced healthcare services to the region. Atrium Health Navicent has 830 beds for medical, surgical, rehabilitation and hospice purposes. The health system includes The Medical Center, Navicent Health, a nationally recognized tertiary teaching hospital; Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children's Hospital, the region's only dedicated pediatric hospital; Medical Center of Peach County, Atrium Health Navicent, a rural critical access hospital; Rehabilitation Hospital, Atrium Health Navicent, the region's oldest and most experienced rehabilitation provider; Pine Pointe, Atrium Health Navicent, which provides palliative and hospice care in homes and in its facility; Carlyle Place, Atrium Health Navicent, the area's first continuing care retirement community; Navicent Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Atrium Health Navicent; as well as diagnostic and home care services. For more information, please visit www.navicenthealth.org.