You wonโt find any Little Debbie snacks on Heartland Regional Medical Centerโs campus. Or regular soda. Or fried foods.
During the past three months, Heartland Health transitioned its high-sugar and high-fat foodstuffs to reduced-sugar options. Snack items in vending machines were replaced a few months ago. Sugary drinks were replaced with flavored water and other low-calorie drinks in mid-July.
Krystal Staggs, a registered dietitian with Heartland Health, said Heartland used the U.S. Department of Agriculture 2010 Dietary Guidelines and recommendations from the American Heart Association as guidelines for deciding what stayed and what went.
Diet sodas remain in the vending machines. Sweet tea offerings are gone. The hospital still serves juice, but in smaller portion sizes. There are more baked potato chips and higher fiber granola bars, fewer Pop Tarts and candy bars. Heartland Health is replacing its cafeteria fryers with five convection ovens.
With the food initiative Heartland joins other hospitals around the country that are trying to make it easier for employees, volunteers and families to choose the healthier types of food.
The Michigan Health and Hospital Meeting created the statewide Healthy Food Hospitals initiative to reshape its community hospitalsโ menus. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston started color-coding its cafeteria food items in 2010 to indicate levels of healthiness. The hospital reports that since it started color coding, sales of the least-healthy options dropped off significantly.
Ms. Staggs said Heartlandโs food initiative has been well-received.
โThere have been people who were frustrated but with explanation and letting them know that they still have the right to bring in what theyโd like to bring in, most people have been satisfied,โ she said.
She also added that sweeter goods are not impossible to find, thereโs just fewer of them. People who enjoy creamer and sugar in their coffee, for example, wonโt have to go without.
Though the fryers may be gone, the dishes patients, families and caregivers are used to wonโt necessarily disappear, said Gretchen Curley, a marketing assistant at Heartland Health.
โThe new ovens are just another way of showing that you can still enjoy your favorite foods just in a healthier manner,โ Mrs. Curley said.
(13) comments
What I was pointing out is they took away CHOICE because they infer people are too stupid to make appropriate choices - so they NEED TO DICTATE. Did you notice the article references another hospital - they did not take away the choice but they did give the information on the "benefits" or lack thereof of the choices you have the option to make. GIVEN THOSE CHOICES - PEOPLE MADE THE HEALTHIER CHOICE - MORE TIMES THAN NOT.Make it t a total change - get rid of your cafienated coffee!!
No Heartland does not write off bills, just looks like it on their books, so their percentages look good for their non profit status. What they do is SELL THOSE BILLS TO HEAVY HANDED UNSCRUPULOUS COLLECTION AGENCIES, whose sole purpose is making everyones life miserable - whether it be honest people who really are unable to pay ot those bad apples who are refusing to - they show no discreation.
Heartland should 1st: STOP PATIENTS FROM SMOKING OUTSIDE OR ANYWHERE ON CAMPUS!!.. It is irritating to walk around patients sitting outside the front doors as they smoke.. If keeping them from smoking is against their rights.. dont tell me how to eat responsibly. 2nd: There are way too many overweight employees (nurses/doctors) to dictate what the public should eat.. 3rd: My bills are paid by ME & have not been written off.
All these people want to complain about Heartland but I bet they don't complain when Heartland writes off their bill because they don't have insurance or can't pay! No one said you have to eat there! Glad to see Heartland is making healthy choices all the way around!
I can complain, Heartland has NEVER written off any bill for me, in fact as a Registered Nurse I have worked for this facility in the past .. and may I add, I left on good standings, however do not want my name associated with Heartland Medical Services in anyway...
I see, poor care given often and their focus needs to be in much more needed areas instead of diminishing choices which they have done in several aspects.
I'd put money down, 10 to one, that you were fired for serving the 'poor care' that you seem so sure is being executed at Heartland.
I guess when you go to the hospital and have to stay and during your recovery you will need to go to the grocery store and get things to eat, and drink. When did a patients rights and the rights of a US citizen go out the door? This should be up to their patients and their families and the employees what they want to eat and or not eat. Recommendations from places like the heart association and so forth are just that recommendations not something that is or should be forced on someone.
Last I saw, there are no Heartland employees forcing people to eat a particular food. Heartland can choose to serve what it likes. Don't like it, bring your own. That's what I do.
When did we become a nation that allows choices to be dictated to us? When did the citizens of this country decided that we were too stupid and foolish to make up our own minds about what was best for each of us as individuals, when given all of the facts? When did we ask for Stalin and Hitler to return to tell us what to do??? Obviously a lot of us have missed the "memo" about this country being changed to a dictatorship!
If you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of having a loved as a guest at Heartland, and they refuse to accommodate your wants (at what is probably a stressful time - you did notice they did not get rid of caffeinated coffee!). Instead of lining Heartlandโs pockets more with your hard earned money buying things you do not want just because they are there. Send someone to one of the discount stores to pick up what you want. Carry it in, you get a better price, Heartland does not get the money/profit and Heartland forces you to contribute to harming the environment by more emissions etc by forcing you to go elsewhere for what you want (proof Heartland is once again only out for themselves). When they begin searching you upon entrance to their facility (as dictators will) - go elsewhere.
Heartland is a business and you can choose or choose not to use their services. Nobody is forcing anyone to go there. Also, last time I checked Heartland is not part of any government and therefore is not 'dictating' anything. They are simply doing business how they please.
Take off your foil hats......
Sorry chrisanderson08, Many people do NOT have a choice in what hospital to use in this community. Are you aware it is the only hospital in St. Joseph?
I have heard rumors about Heartland working hard to assure they remain the only hospital within the community...
I am an Registered nurse and have worked for this hospital in the past, although I loved hospital nursing, Heartland Hospital was not a place I wanted my name or title associated with.
They prevent choices of all kinds... other choices of Hospitals in the community, the choice now of buying and purchasing certain foods/drinks, even choices of employees grooming and private lives.
Working in the health field I have seen very lackadaisical, unfair, and inappropriate care within this facility, which IMO should be more of a focus rather than them making decisions regarding food and drinks to their customers and guest.
First off it is Henderson, not Anderson...learn to read.
Second off St. Joseph is not the only city in Missouri, nor is Heartland the only hospital in the region. There are plenty of alternatives in Kansas City or Kansas. If one has a strong reservation against allowing Heartland to serve them, choose a different hospital.
Third, if you want to use your involvement in the health care field and/or Heartland to bolster your credibility be sure you're not assuming that I am clueless. My family is filled with RNs, two of which are team leaders.
You sound like a disgruntled ex-employee purposed to perpetuating the unfounded animosity toward Heartland.
Also, considering that I do have many Heartland employees in my family, I must ask: what restrictions do they supposedly impose on the grooming and private lives of their employees? I must have missed those rules being applied for the last 22 years of my life.
hello to whom this may concern they need to bring in a saint lukes hospital here in town if heartland is going to do away with this stuff because im going to be seeing alot of people not going to go at heartland no more
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