Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) was recently honoured by the Ontario GreenBelt Fund for its locally-grown foods project.
HHS was named Local Food Champion in the Broader Public Sector at the 2015 Local Food Symposium held in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“Halton Healthcare has proven their fortitude and enthusiasm for increasing local food in their facilities and across Ontario. We are pleased to celebrate their team’s determination and collaboration by recognizing them as a Local Food Champion,” Burkhard Mausberg, Greenbelt Fund CEO, said in a press release.
“The result of their hard work — more delicious, local food for hospital patients and their families.”
The provincial award recognizes the Good For You, Locally Grown project run by HHS, which oversees hospitals in Oakville, Milton and Georgetown.
The project adds more local food to hospital menus and has led to systemic changes in public sector local food awareness, according to a press release issued by HHS.
“The Ontario Greenbelt Fund provided us with the opportunity to partner with government, local producers, manufacturers and distributors to develop a local procurement philosophy, including a set of guidelines and key learnings, to share with other healthcare facilities in Ontario,” said Marianne Katusin, manager of HHS Operations Readiness – Food Services.
In January 2014, the Greenbelt Fund provided HHS with funding for its Good For You project.
Over the past year, with investments from the Greenbelt Fund, HHS participated in several initiatives to enhance staff, patient and customer awareness of both the availability and diversity of local foods in Ontario. This included hosting a number of themed menu days, educational activities and local food expos at its three community hospitals.
“We believe that making good food choices is an important part of health and wellness. Our hospitals serve more than 325,000 residents in the Halton Region, and being able to provide more fresh and locally-grown food options to our patients and their families while they are in our care helps enhance their hospital experience,” said Elma Hrapovich, HHS director of Clinical Nutrition and Food Services.
“We have had a great year partnering with healthcare industry manufacturers to develop local products, new recipes and menu items that meet the nutritional, quality, pricing and food safety standards required in healthcare institutions. We look forward to sharing our ideas, innovations, and experiences with other healthcare providers.”
Last fall, the HHS project was also recognized by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers with a 2014 First Local Food Week Competition Award.
“This... sums up what we have learned during our Good for You, Locally Grown project — that the possibilities are endless when we work together with our local producers to source local foods in public institutions,” added Hrapovich. “This award is a tribute to all our partners in what has been an incredibly rewarding project.”
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Detail Link :
http://www.insidehalton.com/community-story/5539229-halton-healthcare-services-recognized-for-good-for-you-locally-grown-hospital-food-project/