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Overview:

In the face of ever-growing rates of diabetes (which affects more than 26 million Americans) and obesity (more than 68 percent of Americans are considered obese or overweight), it would make sense for hospitals to be sources of healthy food. But in many hospital cafeterias, and on patient meal trays, offerings do not always reflect the nourishment needed to maintain a healthy body and healthy environment. Hospitals that recognize the undeniable link between nutrition and health are changing their ways. Many healthcare facilities maintain onsite organic gardens and host farmers markets. Hospitals are incorporating locally grown meat, poultry and produce in meals offered to patients and visitors. Food waste, which accounts for more than 20 percent of a hospital’s total waste volume, is also being addressed. In addition to offering healthier food in their own facilities, hospitals are helping communities create sustainable food systems (these are collaborative networks that integrate food production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management.) Stony Brook University Hospital has been involved in many of these efforts.

Highlights:

In 2024 we implemented a new proprietary food waste tracking program. The digital software program Ìýhelps to track waste and identify sources of food waste, and supports avenues for improvement. We have had success in getting our staff to use the program on a daily basis. We chose to focus initial efforts on our breakfast waste and have been able to reduce our breakfast waste by 17% in 2024.

Food Service has increased total spend on sustainable food and beverages, animal products without antibiotics, local food and beverages, and with diverse suppliers. All green leafy vegetables are sourced locally. We promote the use of tap water, with a water bottle filling station available to staff and visitors. Our food donations to a local charity are helping us reduce food waste.

Our standing goals include increased composting, introducing more plant based, compostable materials for single use, and reviewing kitchen equipment for energy efficiency. We made progress towards those goals.Ìý

Since 2023 the Nutrition Division has operated our ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ Food Farmacy. Since its inception, we have trained over 50 students and volunteers to design the physical space, run virtual and onsite food drives, develop procedures, manage inventory and serve patients. Patients are referred via a nurse screening process upon admission or by social workers or other providers during usual care. In 2024, we provided 177 food insecure inpatients and 112 food insecure outpatients with 2-weeks of supplemental food (15-20 pounds per patient) consistent with their diet orders and food preferences. During the 2024 harvest season we started including fresh produce from our Stony Brook Heights Rooftop Farm.

Additionally we have established a Ìýculinary medicine and cooking classes for medical students, and continue to use the roof-top farm as a learning environment.

We Ìýare offering healthier menus, purchasing locally and sustainably grown products, reducing the amount of meat purchased and served, and helping meet the food needs of our community, all in an effort to achieve:Ìý

• Improving the nutritional value of food available to patients, employees, and visitors;Ìý
• Increasing access to healthy food options for the community, as food insecurity greatly affects physical and mental health; and,
• Building an environmentally sustainable food system for the long-term benefits for our community.

Our hospital, community leaders, hospitals, and health care providers have a unique opportunity to develop programs that aim to reverse negative food- and health-related trends by:

• Modeling healthier, more sustainable food choices for patients, employees, and visitors while also saving money by reducing food waste and stewarding natural resources.
• Utilizing our Stony Brook Food Farmacy program.
• Maximizing hospital purchasing power to increase the availability of local, sustainable foods within the hospital and by extension, in the community.
• Leveraging programming and investments to address social and environmental determinants of health by increasing healthy food access for patients, staff and visitors while also building healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems for their communities.

The Hospital Nutrition Division worked with Healthier U to develop virtual nutrition activities for staff. They also worked with SBM’s Social Media Manager to post weekly recipes and tips on the social media outlets.

Every May, a seedling fundraiser is held to support the Stony Brook Heights Rooftop Farm. Seedlings were also donated to the non-for-profit Options for Community Living and the Shinnecock Nation’s community garden.

Employees are offered participation in a local community supported agriculture (CSA) farm with farm shares delivered to the Hospital for pick-up during the growing season.

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Recognition:Ìý

Our retail manager was named one of 16 Top Food Service Heroes by Food Service Magazine, celebrating food service heroes in the second year of the pandemic.

Josephine Connolly-Schoonen was named 2012 Woman of the Year in Health by TBR News Media for her work with the rooftop farm. Her efforts also received the Long Island Business Association Health Care Hero Award in 2015, in recognition of our farm-to-bedside model.Ìý

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Team:

Josephine Connolly-Schoonen, Michael West

Policies:

ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ÌýNutrition Policy