St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has maintained a farm on land that was once a hospital lawn since 2010. The farm, has since expanded to include three large “hoop houses,” that provide seasonal produce for patient meals, the hospital cafeteria and local food banks and a farmer's market all year long, according to an article on the ABC News website.
A few years ago, the hospital made one of the hoop houses disability-friendly by widening the aisles and raising up the planter boxes to make it easier for a person in a wheelchair to work the soil, Rob Casalou, president and CEO of St. Joseph, said.
An exercise bike pumps water to irrigate the plants so patients with neurological disorders from the hospital can water plants by pedaling.
“We began the farm in response to health of the community and the health of our own 6,000 hospital workers,” said Casalou.
Building Sustainable Healthcare for an Aging Population
Froedtert ThedaCare Announces Opening of ThedaCare Medical Center-Oshkosh
Touchmark Acquires The Hacienda at Georgetown Senior Living Facility
Contaminants Under Foot: A Closer Look at Patient Room Floors
Power Outages Largely Driven by Extreme Weather Events