Saint Alphonsus Wellness Program Partners with Local Farmers, Sells Over 10,000 Pounds of Fresh Produce to Employees
August 18, 2014Tags: Year 2014
Saint Alphonsus Wellness Program Partners with Local Farmers, Sells
Over 10,000 Pounds of Fresh Produce to Employees
New Farm Fresh pilot project at Saint Alphonsus in Boise and
Nampa aims to maximize the nutrition of its employees
Boise, ID – Saint Alphonsus Employee Wellness is piloting an innovative new program directed at maximizing the nutrition of their Boise and Nampa employees. In conjunction with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s Idaho Preferred® program, the new Farm Fresh initiative at Saint Alphonsus features fresh local produce available to Saint Alphonsus employees at a discounted price. In its first month alone, Farm Fresh has sold over 10,000 pounds (over 600 cases) of local produce to hospital employees.
"As a health system, we're always looking for opportunities to set examples in health, nutrition, and wellness," said Heidi Martin, Wellness Manager at Saint Alphonsus. "Part of that journey is for our own employees to have affordable, easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Farm Fresh is a win-win, as it supports local farmers while also creating opportunities for our employees to access nutritious and affordable food."
To order local produce at the discounted price, Saint Alphonsus employees simply visit an internal website that allows them to choose the type and amount of produce they desire – from boxes of peaches, pears, and raspberries, to flats of mixed vegetables including corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and more. The produce is then delivered to the hospital campuses in Boise and Nampa by the Idaho Preferred program on behalf of the participating farmers - which include Symms Fruit Ranch, The Berry Ranch, and Blue Barn Produce.
For interview and photo opportunities with Saint Alphonsus administration, Saint Alphonsus employees or Idaho Preferred representatives, attend one of the following produce deliveries:
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center 1055 N. Curtis Rd. Boise, ID 83706 Far west parking lot (behind helipad) |
Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Nampa 1512 12th Ave. Rd. Nampa, ID 83686 Corner of Juniper St. & Constitution Way |
About Saint Alphonsus Health System
As a faith-based Catholic ministry and not-for-profit health system, Saint Alphonsus Health System reinvests in the communities we serve, through charity care and other benefits. Our goal is to improve the health and well-being of individuals by emphasizing care that is patient-centered, physician-led, innovative and community-based. Saint Alphonsus Health System serves the people of southwestern Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada through the following facilities: Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center - Boise, ID; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Nampa, ID; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario, OR; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Baker City, OR; and Saint Alphonsus Medical Group with primary and specialty care providers at over 60 clinic locations, all of which are members of the Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance, a network of over 1500 employed and independent providers focused on making care easy to access, improving health outcomes and reducing the costs of healthcare. To find out more go to: www.saintalphonsus.org