Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
By Don Ammon
Former CEO, Adventist Health System West
Recently one of our readers asked what hospitals are doing to improve access to healthy, affordable, fresh foods in their communities. Joan Ralph, vice president, Continuum of Care with the Premier healthcare alliance, is an expert when it comes to this topic. Her team works with the country’s major food suppliers to make sure hospitals have healthy, affordable food choices for patients and the public.
Below you can read our exclusive interview with Joan Ralph.
Q: What is being done in the marketplace to ensure healthy foods are available at hospitals?
Joan Ralph: We work with thousands of hospitals and long-term care centers across the country and the goal is to offer healthy, affordable food choices. We challenge our suppliers to increase fiber and whole grains and to reduce fat in their products so that we have more of a variety of healthier options available for patients and the public.
We make these items available to hospitals across the country, and we educate hospitals about these new products. We often have suppliers come to the hospitals so that hospital staff can taste the foods they will be serving.
Q: Are hospitals helping educate the public about the importance of healthy eating?
Joan Ralph: Yes. Many hospitals offer a variety of classes on health and wellness, and these classes are made available to the public. In fact, at Premier, my staff and I are working on developing community education classes that will be offered at hospitals that need them. These classes will include weight control education, cooking demo classes, as well as sessions that focus on heart health. Over time, the hope is that these offers will be one aspect that attempts to curb obesity in this country. But it is not just diet that is important; exercise is also key to making a difference, too.
Q: What are some of the new trends we might see in hospital cafeterias soon?
Joan Ralph: We are developing what we call retail concepts for hospitals. Hospitals will offer these healthy items and a special icon will highlight these items on the menu. This could be a special offer once a week or food items that are displayed in a dedicated space. Food products will have nutritional information listed on the packaging similar to what you find when you go to the grocery store.
Q: Hospitals are often thought of as unhealthy places when it comes to food. Is this a misconception?
Joan Ralph: It is unfortunate that hospital food service often gets a bad rap. Yes, it is a misconception. Hospitals offer fresh fruit, they have salad bar items, and whole grains foods that can be purchased. But many people just tend to pick the non-healthy items. For many people, these habits are tough to break. So it is always an ongoing challenge. But the healthy options are there every day. You just have to make the right choice. Some hospitals are trying to give people a little extra incentive by lowering the cost of these healthy foods. It’s important to remember that it is not an all or nothing proposition. You can have your cheat day, but then get back on track. It is all about creating a balance.
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
By Don Ammon
Former CEO, Adventist Health System West
Recently one of our readers asked what hospitals are doing to improve access to healthy, affordable, fresh foods in their communities. Joan Ralph, vice president, Continuum of Care with the Premier healthcare alliance, is an expert when it comes to this topic. Her team works with the country’s major food suppliers to make sure hospitals have healthy, affordable food choices for patients and the public.
Below you can read our exclusive interview with Joan Ralph.
Q: What is being done in the marketplace to ensure healthy foods are available at hospitals?
Joan Ralph: We work with thousands of hospitals and long-term care centers across the country and the goal is to offer healthy, affordable food choices. We challenge our suppliers to increase fiber and whole grains and to reduce fat in their products so that we have more of a variety of healthier options available for patients and the public.
We make these items available to hospitals across the country, and we educate hospitals about these new products. We often have suppliers come to the hospitals so that hospital staff can taste the foods they will be serving.
Q: Are hospitals helping educate the public about the importance of healthy eating?
Joan Ralph: Yes. Many hospitals offer a variety of classes on health and wellness, and these classes are made available to the public. In fact, at Premier, my staff and I are working on developing community education classes that will be offered at hospitals that need them. These classes will include weight control education, cooking demo classes, as well as sessions that focus on heart health. Over time, the hope is that these offers will be one aspect that attempts to curb obesity in this country. But it is not just diet that is important; exercise is also key to making a difference, too.
Q: What are some of the new trends we might see in hospital cafeterias soon?
Joan Ralph: We are developing what we call retail concepts for hospitals. Hospitals will offer these healthy items and a special icon will highlight these items on the menu. This could be a special offer once a week or food items that are displayed in a dedicated space. Food products will have nutritional information listed on the packaging similar to what you find when you go to the grocery store.
Q: Hospitals are often thought of as unhealthy places when it comes to food. Is this a misconception?
Joan Ralph: It is unfortunate that hospital food service often gets a bad rap. Yes, it is a misconception. Hospitals offer fresh fruit, they have salad bar items, and whole grains foods that can be purchased. But many people just tend to pick the non-healthy items. For many people, these habits are tough to break. So it is always an ongoing challenge. But the healthy options are there every day. You just have to make the right choice. Some hospitals are trying to give people a little extra incentive by lowering the cost of these healthy foods. It’s important to remember that it is not an all or nothing proposition. You can have your cheat day, but then get back on track. It is all about creating a balance.