The move is part of the Commons Health Hospital Challenge, an organization that encourages healthcare providers to promote primary care and preventive treatment of chronic diseases like obesity.
Essentia Health joins several other providers in Minnesota, including Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital in Grand Rapids and St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, in phasing out sugary beverages. Hospitals have ditched the drinks because they said they “contribute not only to obesity and diabetes, but to an increased risk for heart disease as well,” according to a news release.
“Essentia’s sugary beverage phase-out is a call to action for all Minnesota hospitals and employers,” said Jamie Harvie, Commons Health Hospital Challenge coordinator, in a news release. “Essentia’s sugary beverage phase-out is a landmark as it sets the statewide stage for ‘healthcare outside hospital walls’ — comprehensive workplace and community healthy beverage policies.”
More Articles on Hospitals and Nutrition:
Hospitals Gradually Moving Toward Healthier Food Environments
10 Ideas That Hospital and Health System CEOs Need to Ditch
Managing Patient Health Through Nutrition: Q&A With Truman Medical Centers CEO John Bluford
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