Program Overview: Hospitals are committed to the health and wellness of their patients, but they’re also dedicated to promoting healthy habits among their employees and staff. In that vein, New York-Presbyterian Hospital collaborated with the Department of Food & Nutrition, NYPBeHealthy, and NYPGreen to launch a Meatless Monday initiative at cafeterias on four hospital campuses.
Objective: Make more vegetarian options available to hospital staff and visitors and raise awareness of the health and environmental risks associated with a meat-heavy diet.
Process: Every Monday, New York-Presbyterian hospital sites at Cornell, Allen, Columbia, and Westchester offered a selection of meat-free options that met the guidelines of the hospitals’ NYPBeHealthy program and were offered at a reduced price for staff, employees, and visitors. Weekly reminders were sent to hospital staff and marketing materials were set up in cafeterias highlighting the benefits of eating less meat.
Outcome: In January 2018, four hospitals in the New York-Presbyterian network wanted to offer more vegetarian options to hospital employees and visitors to raise awareness of the health and environmental benefits of reducing meat consumption. The hospitals offered a special selection of vegetarian options inspired by a variety of cuisines, ingredients, and cooking techniques.
The Meatless Monday campaign provided the participating hospitals with printable posters, marketing materials, and other educational resources. Reminders were sent to hospital employees every Monday, highlighting how eating less meat and more plant-based foods can help lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers while also curbing greenhouse gas emissions. By bringing Meatless Monday to its hospital cafeterias, New York-Presbyterian has given staff and visitors more chances to shrink their carbon footprint.
The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future evaluated the program and found that it had increased awareness of the benefits of eating more vegetarian and plant-based foods. Before the collaboration, only one-third of participants had heard of any meat-reduction campaign. Afterward, that number had nearly doubled to 60% of participants. Most employees responded positively to the program and expressed appreciation for New York-Presbyterian’s concern about employee welfare and the environment.
Meatless Monday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital
