Five million trays of opportunity

02/21/24 • 22 min

Tina Hartnell and Elaine Chu know that food is an important part of disease prevention and injury and illness recovery. They also know that honouring diversity in food preferences is an integral piece of restorative, person-centred care.
In this episode, they share their journeys in the field of dietetics – including how their post-secondary education and first jobs introduced them to the link between food consumption and planetary health, and the many ways in which food can positively impact individuals.

They also discuss the ways in which ‘choice dining’ is helping transform the hospital food experience -through many of the five million prepared meals each year - the positive impact of reframing food as ‘plant powered’ and their goal of a more sustainable and inclusive health care food service community.
Guest bios
Tina Hartnell is the executive director of Food and Clinical Dietitian Services at Fraser Health. Working with a team of dietitians, nutritionists and other health care professionals, she is responsible for overseeing the food and nutrition services provided by the health authority to help ensure that patients and residents receive the best possible care. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field of dietetics.
Elaine Chu is a registered dietitian, the regional manager of food operations at Fraser Health, and chairperson of the Lower Mainland Sustainable Hospital Food Operations Committee. She has been involved in a number of innovative food programs to rethink how patients interact with food in hospitals.
Learn more
Fraser Health Planetary Health strategy: https://www.fraserhealth.ca/planetaryhealth
About The Heart of It
Every episode, Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO of Fraser Health, take listeners to the heart of health care, where passion, dedication and innovation drive individual, community and planetary health.
Listen to and watch more episodes of The Heart of It here. And be sure to subscribe to The Heart of It in your favourite podcast player app so that you don’t miss a beat.
This episode of The Heart of It was recorded on the traditional, ancestral and unceded shared territories of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Coquitlam, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen First Nations, and on the home of the Surrey-Delta Métis Association.

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Previous Episode

The kids say 'just do it': collective action for planetary health

Dr. Emily Newhouse and Darryl Quantz have always been interested in the intersection of science and social forces. It’s what drives their planetary health work and commitment to local and global community well-being.
In this episode, they discuss how access to education, food, the natural environment and health care is less available to communities most impacted by the climate crisis and how ‘once in a generation’ language can no longer by used when describing extreme weather-related events.
The solution? Listen to the kids!
Both Darryl and Emily believe the flexibility, adaptability, courage and commitment shown by young climate activists can spur others to believe in and support a climate resilient planet.
About The Heart of It
Every episode, Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO of Fraser Health, take listeners to the heart of health care, where passion, dedication and innovation drive individual, community and planetary health.
Listen to and watch more episodes of The Heart of It here. And be sure to subscribe to The Heart of It in your favourite podcast player app so that you don’t miss a beat.
This episode of The Heart of It was recorded on the traditional, ancestral and unceded shared territories of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Coquitlam, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen First Nations, and on the home of the Surrey-Delta Métis Association.

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Next Episode

Time is brain

Trudy Robertson may not have seen it all – but she’s seen a lot. Throughout a career spanning 40+ years, she’s worked as a licensed practical nurse, a registered nurse, a clinical nurse educator, and now, as the clinical nurse specialist for the Fraser Health Neuroscience Network.
In the final episode of season one of The Heart of It, she shares stories from when she was first deployed to the neurosurgical units at Royal Columbian Hospital 20 years ago, and how personal experiences, like her mother's brain aneurysm and her mother-in-law's Parkinson's disease, deepened her commitment to her practice.
She also discusses how artificial intelligence has transformed stroke care for patients and her continued focus on equity, diversity, inclusion and staff wellness throughout the health care system.
Guest bio
Trudy Robertson is a clinical nurse specialist and has worked as a health care provider for over forty years. She initially pursued nursing as a licensed practical nurse in 1980 and spent 20 years in various roles, primarily at Royal Columbian Hospital, before joining the neurosurgical units. Over the course of her career, she has been instrumental in the development of educational programs and protocols for nurses in neurosciences and her work has improved patient care and outcomes, particularly in stroke and neurosurgery.
About The Heart of It
Every episode, Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO of Fraser Health, take listeners to the heart of health care, where passion, dedication and innovation drive individual, community and planetary health.
Listen to and watch more episodes of The Heart of It here. And be sure to subscribe to The Heart of It in your favourite podcast player app so that you don’t miss a beat.
This episode of The Heart of It was recorded on the traditional, ancestral and unceded shared territories of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Coquitlam, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen First Nations, and on the home of the Surrey-Delta Métis Association.

Send us a text