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Hospitals across the country are expanding their employee benefits to include fresh local food. John Muir Health in Northern California has started a CSA program at three of its hospital campuses. (John Muir Health)
Getting farm-fresh foods used to involve a trip to the farm but now Shawna Dulin, Inova program coordinator for healthy lifestyles, and her colleagues can order fresh fruits and vegetables, sustainable dairy and meat, and free-range eggs all grown or raised within the Washington D.C. foodshed through Inova’s community-supported agriculture program.
“I love that I have the opportunity to support local farmers, while also getting fresh, nutritious produce for my family,” Dulin says, “It’s also very convenient to pick my CSA bags up at work because typically you need to drive out to a farm.”
The bags are delivered to a team member’s home or to a designated pick up site within the hospital.
In addition to the CSA, Inova, a member of Practice Greenhealth, strives to enhance healthy and local food offerings in the community.
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A farm-to-institution networking mixer was held to strengthen relationships
between local food hubs and institutions in the Mid-Atlantic Region. (Inova)
This past February, Inova partnered with Health Care without Harm, the Chesapeake Foodshed Network and Morrison Foodservice, hosting a farm-to-institution Networking Mixer with the goal to strengthen relationships between local food hubs and institutions in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
“Inova’s mission is to provide world-class health care and working to ensure that healthy, local and sustainable food is available is an essential part of that,” said Seema Wadhwa, assistant vice president of sustainability and wellness.
Community-supported agriculture programs are successfully operated at a number of hospitals throughout the country, and the popularity of programs is increasing steadily. Practice Greenhealth offers resources and support to get one started at your facility.