KDH one of the first to attain Silver Status in the Healthy Foods in Champlain Hospitals Initiative

Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) has once again been recognized by the Healthy Foods in Champlain Hospitals initiative, this time for its achievement of Silver status in the program, which aims to create a healthy food environment in hospitals within the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

KDH is the second of the 20 Champlain hospitals to reach Silver standing, demonstrating its commitment to making the healthy food choice the easy choice for patients, volunteers and staff.

A number of changes were made at KDH’s popular Coffee Bar to meet the Silver criteria,  including limiting the availability of deli meats to once a week, reducing the size of the fresh-baked muffins, introducing new sandwiches and snacks, and updating nutritional information.

Pictured (left to right): Laurie Dojeiji, Brenda Steacy, Andrea Corbett, Andra Taylor.

The Silver level builds on KDH’s earlier work to achieve Bronze status in November, 2015, when dietary department staff increased the availability of whole grains, vegetables and fruit, reduced sodium in soups, decreased portion sizes for high-calorie beverages, and created nutritional labels for all coffee bar items made on site.

Frank J. Vassallo, KDH’s Chief Executive Officer, gave credit to Andrea Corbett, the Hospital’s Manager of Food and Nutrition Services, Auxiliary Volunteer Brenda Steacy, the food manager for the coffee bar, and the KDH workforce as a whole.

“I am very proud of our leadership and how our staff and volunteers rallied around this initiative,” he said. “They achieved this not because of an administrative mandate, but because it’s the right thing to do. Proper nutrition is an important component of good health.”

Dr. Andrew Pipe, Chair of the Champlain Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Network at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, which spearheads the program, stated that, “Reaching the Silver benchmark is a clear reflection of KDH’s commitment to investing in the long-term health of staff, physicians, volunteers and the hospital community at large.”

Taking the lead in supporting individual and collective health and wellness is a key component of KDH’s vision. A comment from Paula Stewart, the Medical Officer of Health for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, indicates that KDH is achieving success in realizing its vision:  “This [award] is a really good example of how the hospital can provide community leadership on an important public health issue.”

A celebratory event was held at KDH on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, to recognize the achievement. Representing the Healthy Foods initiative, Laurie Dojeiji and Andra Taylor presented an official Silver status plaque to both Andrea Corbett and Brenda Steacy.

Andra Taylor commended both recipients, explaining that, “This achievement could not have been possible without Andrea and Brenda. The thing about these two is that they always go above and beyond the request. They always make sure they are satisfying everyone with the food they offer at KDH.”

About Kemptville District Hospital

Kemptville District Hospital is Accredited with Exemplary Standing, the highest ranking bestowed by Accreditation Canada. Committed to building healthier communities, we are a model of hospital-led integrated health services within the provincial health system. Kemptville District Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for both patient and employee satisfaction. We pride ourselves on being a good partner within the system. Kemptville District Hospital provides primary care management services, acute care hospital services, and advanced orthopedic care.

For further information contact:

Jenny Read, Communications Officer

T: 613-258-6133 extension 223

Email: jread@kdh.on.ca