Challenging medical centers to take charge of the changing healthcare techniques in its communities, the Healthier Hospitals Initiative has added six Massachusetts medical centers to its initiative in the past month, expanding upon its goal to enhance patient care in a hospital. The program, which involves 800 medical centers nationwide, began two years ago. Forty-three institutions in Massachusetts are currently participating in the initiative, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth, Boston Medical Center and Lawrence General Hospital. Nine of these 43 are located in Boston.
“The Healthier Hospitals Initiative is a national campaign to lead change in the health care sector,” the initiative’s sales brochure said. “Twelve significant U.S. health systems have signed up with to provide a free way for medical centers to incorporate eco-friendly practices into daily functions.” The Healthier Hospitals Initiative asks medical centers to commit to any number of difficulties in their six focus areas: healthier meals, leaner energy, less waste, safer chemicals, wiser purchasing and engaged leadership. “As a group leader offering health care services, we felt it was our obligation to be part of the solution to what is becoming a national epidemic,” said Vanessa Kortze, manager of marketing and communications at LGH. “We strive to ensure healthy outcomes every day for our sufferers and our group, so it’s a natural fit for us to promote a healthier environment by offering healthier options.”
Lawrence General signed up with the initiative in late February, hoping to enhance patient care by participating in two of the initiative’s healthier meals difficulties, the Sugar Sweet Beverage Initiative, which changes high sugar drinks with healthier options such as water and seltzers and the Balanced Menu Challenge, which removes high calorie menu options with healthier options, Kortze said. “These healthier options are now more accessible to our patients through the room service and menu options and in our cafeterias so that whether you are a patient, visitor or employee, you can make better choices,” she said.