Baldwin MC First Wisconsin Hospital to Drop Sodas

Baldwin (WI) Area Medical Center has phased out the sale and distribution of sugary and artificially sweetened beverages in an effort to promote health in the community, reports the Leader Telegram. Instead of soda, the facility serves water, low-fat or nonfat milk, unsweetened coffee, tea and reduced-size 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices. Vending machines are stocked by the hospital’s own food service so all items meet the health criteria.

The initiative, quietly put in place in January, makes Baldwin the first hospital in Wisconsin to publicly announce a phase-out policy, according to Jamie Harvie, director of the Institute for a Sustainable Future and Commons Health Network, a nonprofit group working to improve ecological health.