BLUE HILL - Blue Hill Memorial Hospital (BHMH) is going green, substituting biodegradable items for Styrofoam tableware and replacing plastic with compostable items, made from corn.
The Hospital is also making a greater effort to buy more organic foods from local growers. In 2004, BHMH sought to support local businesses by buying fresh produce and seafood from Horse Power Farm of Penobscot and Maine Shellfish of Ellsworth. BHMH is now using cage-free eggs, milk with no artificial growth hormones, and soon hopes to provide organic coffee and grass-fed beef.
Martha Cole, Manager of Nutrition Services, and Helen Burnett, Health Education Coordinator, have started the Hospital’s own organic garden, growing herbs and vegetables for use in the kitchen. “Our plan is to provide a hands-on activity for those who are part of our Swing bed (inpatient rehabilitation) program to get them outdoors during the summer months,” said Ms. Cole. “We also intend to use the herbs and vegetables in our patient and cafeteria menus. We started small this year, but hope to expand our garden – and patient participation – next year.”
Founded in 1924, Blue Hill Memorial Hospital is dedicated to providing primary and selected specialty healthcare of outstanding quality, caring for our patients with respect and compassion, and improving the health of the communities we serve. As a member of EMHS, we offer a wider range of services to our local community than we could provide if operating alone.
For more information, call Mary Boëchat at 374-3404. |
|
