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

Two Steps to Controlling the Hot Zone

Strategy for disrupting dry-surface biofilm begins with a simple premise: You cannot disinfect what you cannot reach.


RiverSpring Living Breaks Ground on River's Edge Senior Living Community

Occupancy is expected in December 2028.


Encompass Health Reveals Plans to Build Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Post Falls, Idaho

The hospital is expected to open in 2028 and will be part of Encompass Health's national network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.


Creating Compassionate Spaces in Healthcare

A new bereavement room at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan NICU aims to provide peace and privacy for families.


Study Shows Connection Between Odor and Patient Experience

A 2024 study identifies the top smells in hospital waiting rooms and how they impact the patient and visitor experience.


 
 


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.