McDonald’s Shuts Down at a Children’s Hospital

Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, KY announced that it would shut down the McDonald’s currently operating on its premises. “The lease for McDonald’s expires at the end of the year and we have no plans to renew it,” director of public relations for the hospital umbrella company Norton Healthcare Maggie Roetker said. Vegan organization Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) petitioned for the closure by commissioning an advertising campaign with the slogan “Greasy burger and nuggets feed disease,” and citing Kentucky’s high childhood obesity rate as a reason for the hospital to abstain from renewing their contract. “Going fast food free will benefit the health of visitors, patients, and staff at Kosair Children’s Hospital,” PCRM senior dietitian Karen Smith R.D. says. “The hospital should instead provide plant-based options that can prevent and even reverse deadly diseases—including type 2 diabetes, which increasingly strikes young people.” Two children’s hospitals—Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta—continue to host McDonald’s on their respective campuses.