July 4, 2018

Go Dawgs! Wednesday | UW Medical Center

A big congratulations to the UW Medical Center for receiving the Practice GreenHealth Excellence Award! This honor is given to the top 25 hospitals in the United States for their dedication to prioritizing sustainability and innovation in their programs.

The UW Medical Center earned this recognition for their deep commitment to integrating sustainability into their culture. In particular, they’ve developed a focus on healthy and sustainable food, introducing Meatless Mondays and smaller portion sizes of meat in their cafeteria. Serving their daily wellness meal at a lower price has made balanced eating more accessible, and they’ve also demonstrated a commitment to purchasing more sustainable food. Over 33% of their food is locally sourced, while 18.9% is considered sustainable food, both significantly higher rates than the median among their Practice Greenhealth counterparts.

All of these changes have been accompanied with strategic education efforts. The Medical Center has partnered with Whole U, a program focused on promoting holistic wellness among UW faculty and staff. Together they’ve hosted a plant-based cooking demonstration series and healthy food lectures. Way to go UW Medical Center for choosing to steward the health of both people and the planet!