Dive Brief:
- Minnesota-based HealthPartners says it will remove 80% of sugary drinks from its network of hospitals and clinics next year.
- By Jan. 1, caloric drinks with sweeteners will be removed from the health system's vending machines and cafeterias.
- Diet sodas that do not have calories will still be made available, as will fruit juices, coffee and unsweetened tea.
Dive Insight:
"People are still free to bring in a beverage from home if they chose," Dr. Karla Rosenman, a Park Nicollet physician who helped develop the new policy, told the Star Tibune. "But everything that we sell at Methodist Hospital, and in all of our Park Nicollet clinics, will be free of any added caloric sweeteners."
Since it is well-established that sugary drinks contribute to obesity, which can cause a multitude of health problems, it makes sense for healthcare organizations to choose not to provide them. It's likely that more organizations will take a similar stand in years to come.