Ontario
Integrated
Vascular
Health
Strategy
Vascular Health Coalition
Healthy Menu Checklist
Implementation Guide
(Companion to the Healthy Menu Checklist provided separately)
For more information please contact;
Tracey Carter, Ontario Integrated Vascular Health Strategy, Project Manager
[email protected]
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What is Vascular Health?
• Vascular health; condition of the
circulatory system which carries
essential nutrients and oxygenated
blood throughout the body.
• Healthy vascular system
characterized by unimpeded flow
of blood within network of vessels
lined by healthy cells (flexible/
elastic and devoid of build ups and
blockages).
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What is Vascular Disease?
• Stroke, heart disease, dementia, peripheral artery disease,
certain kidney, lung and eye conditions are all vascular
diseases.
• May manifest as an acute event e.g. stroke, Transient
Ischemic Attack (TIA) or a heart attack.
• Superimposed on or followed by a chronic disease process
e.g. dementia, kidney failure or heart failure.
Vascular disease is the leading cause of
preventable death¹.
¹Statistics Canada, Summary list of mortality causes, 2009. Considering mutually exclusive deaths under
cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, renal failure and Alzheimer’s.
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Why a Vascular Health Strategy?
Risk of Vascular Disease:
 40% of Canadian
population (age 20+)
at high risk
 50% of Canadian
population (age 20+)
at moderate risk
90% at high to medium risk!
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Developing the Vascular Health Strategy
•
2010, Cardiac Care Network, Heart and Stroke Foundation and Ontario
Stroke Network – formed the Vascular Health Coalition (VHC), and
committed to work together in advancing vascular health in Ontario.
•
August 2012, Integrated Vascular Health Blueprint for Ontario
(Blueprint) document released. Blueprint serves to guide province-wide
action to advance vascular health in Ontario.
•
Fall 2012, Vascular Health Implementation Steering Committee (ISC)
comprised of vascular health system leaders, was formed.
•
ISC mandate to guide and support implementation of the vascular
health strategy at provincial and regional levels, as described in the
Blueprint.
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Blueprint Domain 1;
Population Health and Promoting Healthy Public Policy
Provide leadership to identify, promote and implement
policies and practices that reduce risk factors in our own
organizations and beyond
= Healthy Catering Checklist
The Vascular Health Coalition (VHC) and ISC members
recommend consideration of adopting the Healthy Menu
Checklist within your organization and disseminating to any
parties interested in methods to consistently offer healthy
food choices during meetings and events.
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Healthy Menu Checklist; Background
• Every year in Ontario, there are hundreds of health related
conferences and meetings held and attended by thousands of
health care employees and decision makers. Healthy food choices
are not consistently offered, in part, due to lack of healthy options
from vendors and low demand from conference organizers.
• As part of our commitment to promoting health and preventing
disease, the Vascular Health Coalition will take a leadership role in
requesting and demanding healthy food choices at every meeting.
The hope is that other organizations will also adopt these
guidelines. The increased demand for healthier food choices will
help drive greater availability of healthy food from vendors.
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Healthy Menu Checklist; Purpose
• The Healthy Menu Checklist will help provide healthy food
to employees, partners or the general public during
meetings, training sessions, conferences, or events.
• Helping to improve the health of Canadians by decreasing
their risk factors for vascular disease is part of the mission
of the Vascular Health Coalition. Providing healthy foods
and messaging consistent with Canada’s Food Guide at
events can help empower Canadians to live healthy lives.
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Implementing the Checklist in 4 Steps
Step #1 –
Senior Management Engagement/Endorsement
 Healthy Menu Checklist shared with senior
management
 purpose and background material reviewed and
discussed with senior management
 seek senior management approval to adopt and
implement the Checklist
 embed in company policy
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Checklist Implementation
Step #2 - Staff Engagement
provide the Healthy Menu Checklist to all staff
responsible for arranging food catering
review the details of the Checklist with staff and
address any questions
follow up with staff post catered events to address
any questions/challenges
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Checklist Implementation
Step #3 - Catering Vendor Engagement
provide the Healthy Menu Checklist to all catering
vendors
advise catering vendors of requirement to follow
Checklist and inquire as to their capacity to do so
source new venders if necessary to support Health
Menu Checklist guidelines – healthy food should not
be cost prohibitive!
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Checklist Implementation
Step #4 - Apply the Healthy Menu Checklist
utilize the Healthy Menu Checklist when selecting
food for each event
 use a poster* to inform meeting attendees regarding
menu choices
follow up with both attendees and vendors regarding
feedback and track menus/feedback over time
report results to senior management
*sample follows
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Healthy Catering is Here!
We are pleased to provide healthy food chosen based on the
Healthy Catering Checklist*
With the goal of providing healthy food choices to
support healthy living and reduced risk of disease.
*jointly developed by health system leaders across Ontario including the Cardiac Care Network,
the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Ontario Stroke Network
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