DENVER — Hospitals across Colorado are improving nutrition for patients and their families, visitors and staff through a first-of-its kind Healthy Hospital Compact developed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Compact members agree to promote healthy food and beverage options in their cafeterias, vending machines and patient menus and support new moms in breastfeeding their babies.
The compact’s founding partners include Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Health Medical Center, Lutheran Medical Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine—Department of Pediatrics, LiveWell Colorado, Kaiser Permanente, Denver Public Health, Jefferson County Public Health and Tri-County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Centura Health also was instrumental in the development of the compact.
Dr. Larry Wolk, health department executive director and chief medical officer, will introduce the compact and recognize founding partners and partner hospitals at a launch event Nov. 14, from 8 to 9 a.m., at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora.
“We are committed to making Colorado the healthiest state in the nation,” said Dr. Wolk. “Working with hospital partners statewide to make sure their patients and families, visitors and staff have healthy food and drink choices is just one of the ways we are turning back the tide of obesity.”
While Colorado is the leanest state in the nation, one in five Colorado adults and one in seven Colorado children are obese. Obesity puts people at risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Coloradans spend more than $1 billion each year on obesity-related health care. Dr. Wolk said hospitals can play a critical role in reducing obesity by working with the health department and other hospitals in the compact to develop best practices in hospital nutrition and breastfeeding.
“We in the health care community need to practice what we preach, so it makes