Papin Lab / Shutterstock.com

Hospital Says ‘Not So Fast’ to This Fast Food

Campaign persuades hospital to close Burger King

By Dan Hounsell


Food service programs in healthcare facilities face a host of hurdles when it comes to providing healthy meals to patients and staff. For one New Jersey hospital, the path to success now has one less hurdle.

New Jersey-based physician Saray Stancic has led a successful campaign to persuade University Hospital in Newark to reduce patient exposure to bacon cheeseburgers and other foods linked to life-threatening conditions including diabetes and heart disease. In early April, the hospital’s CEO, Shereef Elnehal confirmed that the Burger King at University Hospital has closed. The restaurant had been providing artery-clogging burgers and shakes to visitors, patients, and staff for about 25 years.

For the successful campaign, Dr. Stancic teamed up with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit with more than 12,000 doctor members, including 495 in New Jersey. In 2019, a protest led byStancic and other health professionals confronted Burger King and got the attention of Elnehal, the hospital’s incoming CEO. A Change.org petition initiated by Stancic gathered 3,151 signatures.



April 22, 2021


Topic Area: Food Service


Recent Posts

Fire Protection in Healthcare: Why Active and Passive Systems Must Work as One

Sprinklers, smoke compartments and firestopping can form an interdependent safety strategy.


Cleveland Clinic Hits Key Milestones for Palm Beach County Expansion

These include plans to begin demolition of current structure and hospital site preparation in 2026 and open the outpatient center and ambulatory surgery center in 2027.


Emanuel Medical Center Caught Up in Data Breach

The breach occurred in May 2025.


Assisted Living Facility Violated Safety Standards: OSHA

Fire at Gabriel House killed 10 residents died and injured and displaced dozens of others.


McCarthy Completes Construction of Citizens Health Hospital in Kansas

The facility is among the nation’s largest hospitals funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Critical Access Hospital program.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.