11
November
2013
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01:00 AM
America/Chicago

Children's Mercy Earns Gold Apple Award for Implementing a Healthy Food Environment

Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics was recognized by Children's Hospital Association and NC Prevention Partners (NCPP) for achieving the highest standard of nutrition excellence by providing and promoting healthy, affordable, delicious food and beverage options for employees.

In order to receive this recognition, Children's Mercy provides access to healthy options, defines ‘healthy' based on sound nutrition criteria, prices healthy options competitively to motivate purchases, markets healthy food with icons or other easy-to-read labels, and provides benefits such as nutrition counseling and education to support employees in their health improvement efforts. These are among several evidence-based components recommended by NCPP for a healthy food environment at the worksite.

"Children's Mercy sets a high bar in terms of their healthy food and beverage options for employees. They provide their employees every opportunity to make a healthy choice in their food venues," says Julie Knaack, Program Manager at NC Prevention Partners. "I applaud their great effort."

"People make food choices based on foods readily available to them. As a leader in children's health care and a major employer in the Kansas City area, Children's Mercy is making the healthy choice the easy choice for our patients, families and employees" says Karen Cox, RN, PhD, Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer at Children's Mercy.

NCPP is working with Children's Hospital Association to engage hospital leaders and staff to enhance and sustain employee wellness efforts.

About Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics
Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, located in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the nation's top pediatric medical centers. The 354-bed hospital provides care for children from birth through the age of 21, and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals." For the third time in a row, Children's Mercy has achieved Magnet nursing designation, awarded to fewer than seven percent of all hospitals nationally, for excellence in quality care. Its faculty of 600 pediatricians and researchers across more than 40 subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research, and educating the next generation of pediatric subspecialists. For more information about Children's Mercy and its research, visit childrensmercy.org or download our mobile phone app CMH4YOU for all phone types. For breaking news and videos, follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

About NC Prevention Partners
NC Prevention Partners is a national leader in guiding schools, hospitals and workplaces to improve their culture of wellness by improving policies and environments that address tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and obesity. For more information, please visit www.ncpreventionpartners.org.