Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa is an 802-bed acute care non-profit hospital and one of the largest employers in the state with more than 7,100 employees that include a medical staff of more than 800 physicians. A massive medical center that spans roughly four square blocks in downtown Des Moines, Mercy Medical Center provides a high level of medical services.

Mercy Medical Center is part of the Catholic Health Initiatives (a non-profit based out of Colorado).

There are four (4) dining options in the Mercy Medical Center: McDonald's, Starbucks, Atrium Deli, and Marketplace and Grill.  A hospital or medical center should not host the world's most recognizable junk food brand on its campus. Serving McDonald's in this setting is sending the wrong message to adults and children, and working against reducing heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and other diseases.

The most often cited reasons for why McDonald's is in Mercy Medical Center include:

Provides a familiar place in an unfamiliar culture: No doubt hospitals are unfamiliar territory and stressful. All the more reason to provide affordable and familiar food that will nourish the body and not contribute to illness. There are many chains that provide familiar, tasty, and more nutritious food options than McDonald's.

Hours of service are extended before and after our cafeteria service hours providing food service for customers and employees in our community: McDonald's is not the only restaurant that can offer hours or service before and after cafeteria service. And, McDonald's providing room service to patients, customers, and employees is also a service that can be provided by any number of restaurants.

McDonald's sponsored family/sleep rooms for parents and families to have a restful place to be close to their children: McDonald's deserves kudos for their Ronald McDonald's houses. And, yet McDonald's targets children with unhealthy food options and this is shameful. But the bottom line is that just because an organization does something good doesn't mean they get a free pass in the nutrition department.

From time to time, they will run a special percentage of items sold to be donated to a hospital department. If McDonald's runs a special on certain menu items (let's say the Extra Value Meal (a Big Mac, french fries, and a coke that contains a total of 1,330 calories, 52 grams of fat, 1,260 grams of sodium, and 85 grams of sugar) well then they should donate all the proceeds and more to the Cardiac Care or Diabetes departments.

Iowa ranks as the 16th highest state in obesity in the nation with heart disease as the number one cause of death. With more than 65% of Iowans overweight and 31% obese (which is up from 21% in 2000 and 12% in 1990), Mercy Medical Center should be the leader in offering visitors, patients, doctors, nurses, and staff patients healthier options. 

Tell Mercy Medical Center to get rid of McDonald's and install a restaurant chain that offers a wide variety of affordable, healthy dining options.