The Kansas Hospital Association is pleased to announce that the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation has been notified of 25 Kansas hospitals who have formally changed their food and beverage policies. These hospitals have put into place new policies that will provide healthier food and beverage options in the hospital cafeteria and throughout the facility. This enhanced access to healthy food and beverages aims to positively impact hospital employees, patients and visitors, while also helping to establish norms for healthier living for the communities served.               
Participating hospitals have adopted recommendations made by Healthy Kansas Hospitals, a three-year initiative that provides resources and technical assistance to participating facilities. With these formal policy changes, these hospitals have taken the lead in creating a roadmap for other worksites to navigate the challenges associated with implementing healthier environments.
Hospitals have each made their own decisions on the specific food and beverage changes implemented. Examples of changes that have been made as a result of participation in Healthy Kansas Hospitals include increasing the availability of healthy entrees, adding nutrition labeling for meals in the cafeteria, elimination of fried foods, adding healthier snack items to vending machines and increased employee education around the topic of nutrition and diet.
“We are excited that so many hospitals have made changes through Healthy Kansas Hospitals. Each of these hospitals are truly concerned about the health of their employees, patients and their communities,” said Melissa Hungerford, KHERF CEO and KHA Executive Vice President.
Hospitals who have made formal policy changes in the initiative are: Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas, Overland Park; Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington; Cloud County Health Center, Concordia; Girard Medical Center, Girard; Hays Medical Center, Inc., Hays; Holton Community Hospital, Holton; Hospital District #1 of Rice County, Lyons; Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson; Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, Greensburg; Kiowa District Healthcare, Kiowa; Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence; Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, Seneca; Newton Medical Center, Newton; Osborne County Memorial Hospital, Osborne; Providence Medical Center, Kansas City; Russell Regional Hospital, Russell; Saint John Hospital, Leavenworth; Salina Regional Health Center, Salina; Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Shawnee Mission; Sheridan County Health Complex, Hoxie; St. Francis Health, Topeka; Stormont Vail Health, Topeka; Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital, WaKeeney; Via Christi Hospital, Manhattan; and Wilson Medical Center, Neodesha.
The Healthy Kansas Hospitals initiative is a project of the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation. Established in 1969, by the Kansas Hospital Association, KHERF’s mission is to facilitate collaboration and innovation to improve health delivery for Kansas communities. KHERF leverages grants and other funding to support projects, serving in a leadership role, as a partner in developing projects or simply serves as an administrator for grants and sub-contracts that are consistent with KHERF’s vision and values.
The Kansas Hospital Association is a voluntary, non-profit organization existing to be the leading advocate and resource for members. KHA membership includes 211 member facilities, of which 126 are full-service, community hospitals. Founded in 1910, KHA’s vision is: “Optimal Health for Kansans.” For more information, visit HealthyKansasHospitals.org.