News

Trying to shop for essential groceries is tough enough during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, imagine being a frontline healthcare worker with little time to spare to hunt for these hard-to-find items.

To help the doctors, nurses and other critical medical care teams taking care of the community during this public health crisis, Health First hospitals have begun offering a grocery service to go for these essential workers - a way to hopefully make their lives a little less stressful while they're diligently caring for the community.

"I'm thankful the grocery service is available to us," said Vanessa Tucci, a Clinical Charge Nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center. "Some items, such as the toilet paper and paper towels, are extremely hard to find, so that was a life saver."

Health First teamed up with Sodexo, the vendor behind Health First's cafeterias, to offer a "Grocery 2 Go" program. Associate at the not-for-profit community healthcare system's four hospitals - Health First's Cape Canaveral, Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center, Health First's Palm Bay Hospital and Health First's Viera Hospital - can now preorder basic groceries to pick up right at their hospital's cafeteria.

Among the items offered for purchase are bottled water, toilet paper, paper towels, milk, butter, cheese, bread, fruits, vegetables, pasta, peanut butter and frozen pizza. Toilet paper is limited to two rolls per order and paper towels will be limited to one. Cases of water, toilet paper, paper towels and select items may be purchased at the register without a preorder. Employees may pay with cash, credit or payroll deduction at the register.

Preorder forms (which were emailed to all associates April 8) must be submitted as instructed 24 hours prior to the designated pickup time. Pickup is available daily in hospital cafeterias from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All items are subject to availability.

Tucci said she's incredibly grateful for this and all Health First is doing to support associates.

"I was able to share the information about the grocery service with the staff in my unit," she said. "We were thankful to be able to have items available to us at the cafeteria. It is convenient and saves a trip to the store, which helps limit exposure."