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 My mother recently had surgery at New York Cornell Hospital. Now, my mom is not one for medical procedures let alone major surgery so she took it upon herself to ensure that her hospital stay was as comfortable (and as posh) as possible. You’d never think my mom “posh” in any way however, deep down she likes her princess comforts. Welcome to the Greenberg Pavilion! Located on the 14th floor with views of the East River, it honestly couldn’t get much better than this as far as hospitals go:
- Top-notch medical care (1 nurse for every 3-5 patients)
- A sterile (in a good way) yet warm and inviting atmosphere
- Large private rooms with floor to ceiling windows
- Private and meticulously designed bathrooms
- Flat screen televisions
- Delicious and nutritious menus/meals (room service or private dining room)
- Pantry stocked with mostly healthy foods for family and friends
- Afternoon tea and healthy snacks
- Business center
- Concierge service
After research and a personal tour she was sold—sounds good, looks good!
Fast forward—my mother settled in her room, my father staying with her 24/7 and I am in and out during the day. Greenberg met our expectations for the first 18 hours. Then into the second day, several issues arose—untimely nurse response (my mother was in a lot of pain and having reactions to the multiple medications she was on), room cleanliness (garbage not emptied, sheets not changed, etc.), no assistance with personal hygiene and more. Now, you would think (and hope) that the high-ticket price for these rooms would also buy you a high level of care. Nope! Although there were some great caregivers that I do not want to discredit here, they were few and far between.
 My father, not the kind of guy you want to mess with, had a few words with the “person in charge” and as a result she left him a small token of apology — TWO DUNKIN DONUTS GIFT CARDS! There aren’t many things that leave me speechless. Well, this was one of them! Ok, so maybe Dunkin Donuts has good coffee, but I wouldn’t say that they by any means connote or promote health. Aren’t hospitals supposed to help a patient get well? Yes, but they typically don’t! It’s about being sick and staying sick!
For my mother’s sake, I bit my tongue but that didn’t stop me from going over in my head (about 100 times) exactly what I would have said to the person in charge — the reason I am writing this essay!
To Whom it May Concern,
My mother was recently a patient at the Greenberg Pavilion.
I am not only appalled at the lack of real care provided to my mother during her stay on your prestigious 14th floor but also at the lack of responsibility you took in offering a respectable (and logical) apology to the problems presented. Dunkin Donuts gift cards, in my opinion, go against everything a hospital should represent—a road to wellness. And the mere fact that they were offered to her as an apology for your mistakes (that should never have occurred given what Greenberg touts itself on) is inexcusable!
But you see this is only a very small part of a much bigger problem—hospital foodservice (as in cafeteria food, gift shop food, vending machines, etc.). But, what baffles me is why a place such as the Greenberg Pavilion—that offers truly health supportive and “fine” dining to their patients and guests—would align themselves in any way with Dunkin Donuts, an American mainstay that has never represented and never will represent health in any way shape or form?
If Greenberg is to serve as a model for what hospitals can be someday—not just a place that people with the means can afford—then you need to lose the hypocrisy and terminate relationships with those companies that don’t carry the same values that you want to have (of course hoping that you do want to have them).
I noticed that New York Cornell enforces a rule—no smoking anywhere around the hospital (that means patients, guests and STAFF). So, how about a policy that eliminates all food that is not health supportive in hospitals? If you want junk, bring it with you—it’s your choice. Hospitals need to take a stand and truly be a road to wellness. Smoking has been identified as a habit that makes a person sick. News flash—the food we eat can cause illness as well!
So, Greenberg—if you have the means to take a stand on this case then do it! And stop the hypocrisy. Start by tossing those Dunkin Donuts gift cards and when you make a critical mistake in care, offer something that is more appropriate—a discount on a patient’s stay.
Respectfully,
Stefanie Bryn Sacks
Now here I am all high and mighty complaining about the hypocrisy at hospitals. I am not typically one to complain without trying to find a solution. Sadly, a solution for this problem is not an easy task. Our paradigm needs to shift. We, the consumer, the patient, need to demand change for change to occur. It is an uphill battle (that I have been climbing) for some 25 years. I am not working at changing the hospitals directly but at educating people about making (and demanding) healthier food. I wish I had enough time in a day, a week, a month, a year to start to move the hospital hypocrisy mountain. Perhaps this letter (which I do plan to distribute beyond my newsletter) will make a small difference.
So, back to my mom—she is on her way to recovery and the sad but true experience at Greenberg is met with baffled laughter now. Clearly, hospitals are not truly about healthcare but “sickcare”. Demand change and it will eventually happen!
~ Stefanie |
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Check out my Events page for a complete listing of upcoming workshops and events.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Urban Zen Food Solutions Part III: 'Navigating Cancer'
A Workshop Lead by Stefanie Bryn Sacks M.S. & Amanda Archibald R.D.
 Can diet prevent, heal, or help us manage cancer? Join Pamela Yee, MD, board certified in both internal and holistic medicine and MaryBeth Augustine, RD, cancer survivor and integrative nutrition expert for a day of learning, discovery and innovative hands-on cooking in a supportive environment. Dr Yee will explain how she combines conventional cancer treatment therapies with evidence-based unconventional modalities to treat patients living with cancer. From the same stage, MaryBeth Augustine will share how she personally managed cancer through diet, supplements and herbal remedies and how this journey influences her approach to working with clients living with cancer.
Turn Yee and Augustine’s therapeutic approaches into a reality you can taste through creative hands-on cooking and food learning experiences lead by Amanda Archibald, RD and Culinary Nutritionist, Stefanie Bryn Sacks, MS. For lunchtime enjoy the fruits of your culinary endeavors. The day will close with a panel discussion of medical, nutrition, culinary and patient advocacy experts as they share their personal experiences of living and working with cancer. We invite you to share, care and experience!
 Presented by the Urban Zen Center, this workshop is the third installment in the ground-breaking series 'Food Solutions: A Whole Foods Approach to Wellness' - Sponsored by The Palette Fund & Whole Foods Market. Giving you the practical tools to make food lifestyle change!
Details: Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 9:00am-5:00pm, $80
Location: Stephen Weiss Studio, 711 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10014
Registration: With questions or to register please contact rsvp@urbanzen.org.
Here are some snapshots from the past two Urban Zen Food Solutions workshops:
Please connect with me on Facebook to see more photos! Thanks so much to everyone - the nutritional expert guests and the inspiring and encouraging attendees - who are helping to make these events such an unbelievable success! Check my Events page to see a full listing of the remaining workshops in this series. Please contact me if you have any questions!
June 13-16, 2010
A Culinary Nutrition Retreat: 'From Nutrition Prescription to the Living Kitchen ~ Moving from the Handout to the Plate '
Hosted by Stefanie Bryn Sacks M.S. & Amanda Archibald R.D.
 Workshop Focus: Pairing nutrition therapy and food recommendations with culinary guidance, assessing and teaching cooking skills, culinary-focused nutrition assessment, pairing the palate to the plate, food-centric learning activities.
When clients leave our counseling or educational sessions with our recommendations and information, do we really know if our suggestions are practical enough for their lifestyle, realizable in their kitchen or truly aligned with their palate? Nutrition Prescription to the Living Kitchen focuses on the tools, the therapeutic knowledge and the integrative culinary-nutrition techniques that connect health, health provider, nutrition and FOOD with each and every one of our clients and their living kitchens. This hands-on workshop is the TEST KITCHEN that showcases how we put food, nutrition and culinary ideas into practice and onto plates. The workshop combines live case studies, food-centric learning and problem solving, cooking demonstrations and hands-on cooking (in a live kitchen) and a myriad of food, nutrition and culinary tools to take home and use immediately.
Details: June 13-16, 2010, $695 (Early Registration)
Location: Jones Family Farms, Shelton, CT
Optional: Pre-conference workshop Food, Farm and Agricultural Literacy: Experiential learning for change makers June 13, 2010 9-4pm , $179 / $154 with Nutrition Prescription workshop. We recommend that participants have a minimum of 2 years experience in nutrition counseling or teaching and/or providing culinary instruction to consumers.
CPE: Up to 25 RD/DTR. CECH Level I Pending
Registration: Please click here to register online for this retreat
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 When recently asked how old he was Jack replied, “four and a half.” “When will you be five?” added the woman. Very matter-of-factly, “After I am four and a half!” answered Jack. So, now Jack is four and a half and clearly more insightful and delightfully opinionated (in a good way) about the foods he eats.
Now Hunter, a kind hearted yet somewhat deviant eighteen month old has officially decided that it is time to kiss the booster seat goodbye. The other day I tried to buckle him in for his breakfast and he screamed, arched his back and kicked the seat. Point taken Hunter! Now he sits on the chair like a big kid (clearly he is trying to be like his brother) and feeds himself whatever his brother is eating. Only problem is that most of the food either lands on the chair or the floor (for our dog Blossom to clean up)!
This section is devoted to the foods and food products that my boys love and the things we do with them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.
Breakfast
Scrambled egg tortilla wrap
Scramble eggs and toss them into a warmed flour tortilla with avocado and goat cheese (or other cheese) and wrap in tin foil. This is a great at-home or portable breakfast. We like to go to beach or sit outside and eat. Kids feel like they are on a picnic.
Lunch
Sunshine Burgers
Found in the frozen foods section of most healthy food markets, these amazing vege burgers are soy-free (most have soy) and have only 5 ingredients (in the garden herb flavor). We cook them on 350˚ in the toaster oven, cut into pieces and serve with ketchup, pickles and some sliced avocado on side. Also great with buns (but my boys don’t fancy bread much).
Dinner
Quick Red Lentil Vegetable Soup with a Side of Rice
Combine finely chopped vegetables of choice (I use onion, carrot and celery) in a pot with extra virgin olive oil and sauté for a few minutes. Add red lentils and water (about 1 cup lentils to 3 cups water) and cook until done (about 15 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste. Cook up some rice and eat as a side.
Snack
Banana Ice Cream
Freeze a few peeled bananas. Once frozen through, quarter and put in food processor with a touch of milk (rice or soy fine too) and purée until creamy. May need to add more milk depending on consistency. Must be served right away and should not be re-frozen—tastes gross if so! |
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 Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, rough chop
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt, to taste
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method
Cut about 1 1/2 inches off bottom of asparagus (keeping in rubber band). To slice spears, run knife down center of each spear to halve, then quarter. In a large saute pan, heat oil on medium. Saute garlic and onions until slightly browned. Add asparagus to pan with lemon juice and saute until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. (Serves 4). |
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 Stefanie Bryn Sacks, M.S., a Culinary Nutritionist, works hands-on with individuals and groups in transition to a healthier way of eating as a food counselor, nutrition educator and chef instructor. She has been studying food and healing for twenty-five years, has her Masters of Science in nutrition from Columbia University and is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. In 1999, she created Nutricook®, a program to help prevent illness and restore health through personalized nutrition therapy and culinary guidance.
In addition to her private practice, Stefanie conducts workshops for adults and children at community centers, schools and universities, corporations, medical organizations and health and wellness expos. She also works with many organizations on food and nutrition related projects. Currently, she is collaborating with Field to Plate, a company dedicated to creating and delivering innovative food education for health professionals and consumers; and Urban Zen, Donna Karan’s foundation devoted to patient advocacy and well-being. She also she speaks at nutrition focused health and wellness events; and is developing a food and nutrition related television show. Continue reading....
Email: sbs@stefaniesacks.com
Telephone: 917.686.3778
Website: stefaniesacks.com
Connect with me on Facebook: Facebook.com/StefanieSacks
Follow me on Twitter: Twitter.com/stefaniebsacks |
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