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Health care facilities offer healthier menus by working with farmers to purchase locally and sustainably grown products, reducing the amount of meat they purchase and serve, and going beyond their walls to help meet the food needs of their community. This cohort will provide partners a space to learn about new trends and technologies and collaborate with their peers on implementation strategies. Sessions will cover ways to improve the sustainability of food service operations and support healthy food access, local food economies, and resilient food systems.

Target audience: Sustainability and/or facility/operations, food and nutrition 
Level: Beginner to intermediate

“Our food program aligns with the hospital’s overall mission in that our aim is to serve, healthy, sustainable foods that are good for both our patients and the planet.” — Dawn Cascio, food service director, The Valley Hospital

2024 Schedule

April 3, 2024 4:00 PM EST

Topic: Using plant-forward menus and the Coolfood Pledge to reduce Scope 3 emissions 

Discussion questions:

  1. What successful strategies have you used to reduce GHG emissions from food purchasing? (Success = emissions reductions without compromising sales and satisfaction)
  2. How do you track progress in reducing GHG emissions from food, and how do you communicate your progress?
  3. What are your biggest barriers or challenges in reducing GHGs from food purchasing? 

 
June 4, 2024 4:00 PM EST 

Topic: Exploring food waste solutions

Discussion questions:

  1. What are your biggest challenges to addressing wasted food?
  2. What food waste solutions has your organization used, and what were the results?
  3. What would help you advance your food waste solutions work?
August 13, 2024 4:00 PM EST 

Topic: Local & equitable food purchasing

Purchasing food from local and diverse farmers and food producers is an important strategy for hospitals interested in supporting local economies and increasing community resilience. During this interactive session, attendees will explore local and diverse food purchasing challenges and identify solutions for the greatest impact.

Discussion questions:

  1. What are your biggest challenges to purchasing local food?
  2. What are your biggest challenges to purchasing from diverse vendors?
  3. What purchasing solutions has your organization used, and what were the results?
  4. What would help you advance your local and diverse food purchasing work?
November 12, 2024 4:00 PM EST

Topic: Sustainable food purchasing

Purchasing environmentally sustainable and high welfare food is an essential strategy for hospitals interested in reducing food production's carbon and water footprint, caring for animal well-being, and advancing public health and worker safety. During this interactive session, attendees will explore their challenges in buying environmentally sustainable foods and workshop solutions for maximizing impact.

Discussion questions:

  1. Has your organization set goals or targets to purchase sustainable food and beverages?
  2. What are your biggest challenges to purchasing sustainable food?
  3. What purchasing solutions has your organization used and what were the results?
  4. What would help you advance your sustainable food purchasing work?

 

Join Practice Greenhealth

Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.

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Who We Are

Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,700 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the health care value chain.