West Reading, PA – During the annual celebration of the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) this week honored the 73 participating hospitals from 14 health systems serving residents in 31 counties. The program encourages hospitals to offer patients, staff, and visitors nutritious foods and beverage options.
From July 2025 to June 2026, DOH estimates that the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals program benefited over 123,000 hospital staff and improved healthy options in 13.3 million cafeteria and 4.4 million patient meals.
Representatives from DOH joined leaders from The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) to applaud the participating hospitals for their achievements over the past year.
“The Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative continues to expand and bring healthier food choices to more Pennsylvanians in health care settings each year,” said Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen. “I am proud that not only have we increased the number of participating hospitals, but also we have more than doubled the number of platinum-level facilities than last year, bringing the maximum benefits of healthy food as medicine to thousands more Pennsylvanians.”
Hospitals are ranked by how many of the five Good Food, Healthy Hospital standards of food service they have achieved, with platinum being the highest level indicating that the facility has implemented all five standards of food service. This year, there are 20 platinum-level hospitals, up from nine in 2025.
Five new hospitals and one new health system joined the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative in the past year:
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Main Campus
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia King of Prussia Campus
- Temple Women and Families Hospital
- Chestnut Hill Hospital (Temple University Health System)
- St. Luke's University Health Network Grand View Hospital
“Pennsylvania hospitals are ensuring the healthy choice is the easy choice, by making nutritious food more accessible to patients, staff, and visitors,” said HAP President and CEO Nicole Stallings. “HAP is proud to help grow Good Food, Healthy Hospitals and bring these practices to more communities across the commonwealth.”
Health care facilities participating in Good Food, Healthy Hospitals pledge to voluntarily adopt food, beverage, and procurement standards in areas of the hospital where food is served or sold, including cafeterias, patient meals, catering, and vending.
Participating health systems receive technical assistance from the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals team to support the initial implementation of the food service guidelines and to conduct annual assessments that measure progress and set goals for continued adoption of nutritious offerings and practices, including:
- Prominently displaying nutrition information of foods and beverages;
- Promoting water as a healthy and necessary beverage choice;
- Placing healthier beverages and snacks at eye level; and
- Purchasing locally sourced and sustainably produced foods where possible.
This past spring, the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals program awarded its third round of Nutrition Security Grants, providing federal funds totaling $94,000 to seven participating hospitals for use in innovative projects that support nutrition security and health equity. Specifically, the mini-grant program sought to expand each hospital’s capacity to offer services and programs that distribute, promote, or support access to healthy foods within the broader community, beyond the physical boundaries of the hospital itself.
"What we eat and drink has a profound impact on our well-being. Healthy diets that are rich in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low in sodium and added sugar can improve our quality of life and prevent leading causes of death like high blood pressure and heart disease," said Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson. "The Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative is a great example of how institutions can foster a healthier environment and ensure that patients, staff, and visitors have access to nutritious and delicious foods. We are delighted to see that three new Philadelphia-based hospitals joined the initiative this year and wish them much success!"
Continued expansion of the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative is made possible by Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additional information about Good Food, Healthy Hospitals is available at: www.foodfitphilly.org/gfhh and https://www.haponline.org/Public-Health/Nurturing-Health-Communities/Good-Food-Healthy-Hospitals.
More information on healthy eating can be found on the Department of Health’s website.
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