Anti-meat activists tap social media to force fast food out of hospitals

The controversial Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has started a social media campaign to pressure a children’s hospital into ousting an onsite McDonald’s.

The #BanTheBurgers campaign alerts the public that Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, Ga. is serving fast food to patients and guests.  Through a program called McDelivery, the facility delivers Happy Meals to patients’ rooms.

PCRM has been characterized by foodservice and medical groups as a front for proponents of a radical anti-meat and pro-animal agenda. Contributions of at least $850,000 have been traced to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Among its most vocal critics has been the American Medical Association, which has blasted the group for suggesting it’s a medical organization.

Fast food has been a particular target of PCRM. It issues an annual list of hospitals that lease space to the major chains. In the most recent version, the group called out Children’s Hospital for allowing McDonald’s to operate on the premises, and took issue in particular with the McDelivery option.

“Those things are not going to be smart food choices when you are looking to get well,” wrote Cameron Wells R.D., an acting director of nutrition education at PCRM.

The organization asks its social-media followers to sign a petition on Takepart.com to persuade the hospital to keep patients’ rooms free of fast food. As of April 14, roughly 6,295 people had signed.

She pointed out that other children’s hospitals, such as Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, Ind., have removed McDonald’s after being mentioned on PCRM’s national list.

Children’s Hospital of Georgia hasn’t officially responded to PCRM’s social media campaign.