Hospital food can mean different things to each of us; and food practices vary considerably across the European healthcare sector. At Health Care Without Harm Europe we believe that healthcare facilities should develop food strategies promoting the idea that healthy food is synonymous with sustainable food. Such sustainable food strategies are not only better for patients’ wellbeing, but also for the wider community and for the environment.
Implementing a more sustainable approach to food provision requires leadership at all levels to ensure that environmental sustainability is a key organisational priority that supports protecting human health. Clear communication and education on the benefits of a sustainable food strategy are also important to gain the interest and buy-in of catering teams, procurement staff, clinicians, and patients.
During this webinar we will demonstrate how applying new approaches and forms of collaboration can accelerate uptake of scalable solutions, and address present barriers and challenges to the implementation of healthy and sustainable food initiatives in the European healthcare sector. Take a seat at the table – register today!
This webinar aims to:
- Explore diverse hospital food strategies from Austria, Iceland, and The Netherlands that actively promote both improved health outcomes and environmental sustainability.
- Inspire other hospitals and healthcare providers to start building a food strategy that combines action on health and well-being as well as sustainability.
- Stimulate a constructive debate around the benefits, opportunities and challenges of adopting a healthy and sustainable approach to food provision.
Webinar recording
Speakers and presentations
Sigrún HALLGRIMSDOTTIR, Site manager - Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland
As Landspítali is building a new hospital planned to be open 2024, there is now a great opportunity to work further with a food strategy and plan the future of food at Landspítali hospital. Work has recently started and 2019 will be a big year for the food strategy in Landspítali. Sigrún holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and a Master’s degree in project management.
Dr. Manon VAN DEN BERG, Clinical Dietician - Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands
After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, Manon then completed a PhD focussing on the recognition of malnutrition to improve dietary counselling for patients with head and neck cancer. She is currently a post-doc at the Department of Gastro-enterology and Hepatology-Dietetic, and theme leader Nutrition of Radboud university medical center - a leading academic centre for patient care, education, and research, whose mission is ‘to have a significant impact on healthcare’.
Christina SCHMIDT, Director of Kitchen Management - Hospital Hietzing, Neurological Center Rosenhügel, Austria
For over 27 years, Christina has been responsible for the economic and logistical management of the Hospital Hietzing’s food supply. Located in Vienna, the hospital serves approximately 2,600 meals a day. Christina has been involved in several projects, including food waste prevention, and the projects UMBESA and Natürlich Gut Teller. Christina aims to strengthen sustainable nutrition for the entire Vienna hospital association.