The Award, presented on September 16, 2009, recognizes WHEN's leadership role in engaging hospitals in organizing such sustainable events and actions as creation of the Hospital Leadership Team for Sustainable Food in Healthcare, the Sustainable Cook Training event, and the Earth Day 2009 event where the five Leadership Team hospitals served meatless meals as a way to help mitigate climate change.

 



DIANNE & TERESA ACCEPT AWARD FROM EPA & NBC CHANNEL 10’S TERRY RUGGLES

 


GREENING HEALTH CARE THROUGH WHAT THEY EAT
EPA Presents Environmental Achievement Awards

 

Women's Health & Environmental Network (WHEN) received the EPA Region 3 Environmental Achievement Award at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia yesterday.  WHEN’s program, Healthy Food in Health Care, was noted for providing a holistic approach to sustainable, healthy food by engaging hospitals to commit to sustainable procurement, menu offerings and disposal practices.  WHEN educates hospitals on their huge environmental footprint and ways to mitigate climate change through smarter, healthier food choices. 

WHEN, a local non-profit, champions health by reducing environmental harm through education, research and direct action, and is a member of Health Care Without Harm, the international campaign to make hospitals more environmentally responsible.  Over the past ten years, WHEN has successfully engaged hospitals to reduce their waste, increase recycling, eliminate DEHP from medical devices, substantially reduce mercury use, recycle computers and other electronics, and has been the local organization hosting CleanMed 2004 and 2008 (in Philadelphia and in Pittsburgh, PA.)

In the past three years, WHEN has been successful in getting hospitals to buy milk without rBGH, compost food waste, establish CSA programs, set up farmers markets onsite or resell farm goods in the cafeteria, buy biobased serviceware, recycle kitchen grease into biofuels, buy organic products when feasible, and create herb/healing gardens.  Six hospitals and two health systems in Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey have signed the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge helping to influence other hospitals and healthcare systems, producers and distributors, thereby changing the market for sustainable food.
  
 For more information on our food programs, visit our programs page and click on Food & Sustainability.