Inova CEO cook-off highlights sustainability
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| Singleton (left) and Pasternak |
In an effort to get patients and visitors to make healthier food choices, Inova Heath Systems staged a “Battle of the CEO Celebrity Chefs” in the Fairfax Hospital cafeteria yesterday.
The cook-off pitted Inova Fairfax Hospital CEO Reuben Pasternak’s stuffed peppers against Inova Health System CEO Knox Singleton’s squash casserole.
The two CEOs, wearing chef outfits, doled out samples of their dishes, which both featured local ingredients. Both items were on sale in the cafeteria, and the winner was to be determined by which dish racked up the most sales. An informal survey of taste-tasters seemed to suggest Singleton had the edge.
The event, organized by the hospitals’ sustainability office, was aimed at highlighting the benefits of eating locally grown food. The hospital also hosts a monthly famers market in the cafeteria and serves locally grown food whenever possible.
“We want employees to learn about the environment and create a culture of sustainability,” said Seema Wadhwa, INOVA’s director of sustainability. “We want to be a responsible member of the community.”
INOVA Health Systems employs about 16,000 people, making it the second-biggest employer in the county, after Fairfax County Public Schools. Fairfax Inova Hospital, on the Annandale/Falls Church border, has about 7,000 employees.