Nash Health Care recognized as one of 25 "red apple" hospitals

NC prevention partners applaud those who promote healthier dining

The food and nutrition services at Nash Health Care were recently honored with the Red Apple Award from NC Prevention Partners. This recognition is given to hospitals that making healthier food more available, visible and affordable for employees and visitors. Nash Health Care was one of 25 hospitals in the state that received the honor.

"This represents so much more than just an award. This illustrates that we are going the extra mile to ensure that our visitors and employees have the nutritional information they need to make healthy food selections," said Mike Tamisiea, director of food and nutrition services. "In addition, we strive to keep quality, healthy food affordable, because we believe it is not just about having a good meal, it's about doing our part to keep our community healthy."

NC Prevention Partners is an organization that seeks to prevent illness and early death by promoting programs that advocate smoking cessation, regular exercise and good nutrition. One of these programs is the Winner's Circle Healthy Dining Program, which promotes items such as fruits, vegetables, grains and calcium-rich foods as regular menu choices.

"In order to build a successful program, we worked with other areas of the hospital to not only present healthy food, but other programs that will enhance the health options for employees and visitors," said Aaron Mastrodonato, retail manager. "This was truly a cooperative effort on behalf of several departments, from human resources to administration. We even coupled our program with a sophisticated logo that points diners in the direction of a meal that is low in fat and high in nutritional benefits. We even offer a discount when diners purchase our healthy dining selection. In addition, information on calories, fat grams and other food information is readily available. This project required a lot of teamwork and dedication from our employees, and we're very grateful for all their hard work, which led to the program's success."

Nash General Hospital has two dining areas for employees and visitors: the Courtyard Café, a cafeteria located on the ground floor, and Montague's Deli, a sandwich shop located beside the main hospital lobby. In addition, the Courtyard Café also has a vending machine that features healthier snacks and drinks.

Mike Tamisiea(left) and Aaron Mastrodonato (right) of Nash Health Care's food and nutrition services, display the Red Apple Award presented to them by NC Prevention Partners. The award recognizes hospitals that help make nutritious dining choices easier. NHCS is one of 25 "red apple hospitals" in the state.