Lawrence General Hospital welcomes Casabe Café to hospital campus
Partnership brings local restaurant’s healthy choices and delicious cultural cuisine for hospital’s visitors and staff to enjoy
Lawrence General Hospital held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday to celebrate the grand opening of Casabe Café at Lawrence General Hospital. During opening remarks, hospital Executive Vice President Robin Hynds, and Casabe owner Wendy Luzon touted the partnership as a way to support the community and provide healthy, cultural cuisine options for employees, families and visitors.
Mayor Brian De Peña, State Sen. Pavel Payano, State Rep. Frank Moran, State Rep. Francisco Paulino, State Rep. Estela Reyes and Lawrence City Councilor Ana Levy, were among the community leaders and elected officials present to cut the ribbon and hail this novel community partnership focused on health that recognizes the rich Latino culture of the Lawrence community. For Lawrence General Hospital, the café opening reflects a health equity commitment aligned with Lawrence General’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals.
“Having Casabe here in our hospital café offering a wide array of healthful food options is another way we can support improved health in our community and at the same time embrace the rich cultural diversity we have in Lawrence,” Deborah J. Wilson, president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital, said. “Supplier diversity is also an important DEI goal for us and as we explored new options for our hospital café space, we chose Casabe Café not only to for their supported a local, female-owned business, but also shared a community-centered philosophy focused on respect, opportunity, communication, kindness and service.”
A native of the Dominican Republic, Casabe owner Luzon settled in Lawrence more than 25 years ago and after she and her husband raised their children here, she opened her first Casabe location at 276 Essex St., in February 2020. As Luzon explains, the now three-year-old Casabe brand was borne out of a desire to provide the greater Lawrence community with more fresh fruits and vegetables – something not as often available to folks who may reach more frequently for convenience foods like rice and beans. Of key importance to Luzon when opening a second location at Lawrence General Hospital is certainly providing access to healthy food.
“We were raised eating fresh fruits and somehow you come to the United States and you want things fast,” Luzon said, making the correlation between healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. “The way you eat impacts your weight. This community has a lot of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity and it’s all about how you eat.”
Casabe at Lawrence General Hospital will employ six people and be open to staff, patients’ families, and visitors Monday through Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
About Lawrence General Hospital
As an independent, not-for-profit hospital serving the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire, Lawrence General Hospital provides access to high-quality care, the latest technologies, and a growing network of local providers, including primary care and many specialties. A designated Level III Trauma Center, Lawrence General has one of the busiest Emergency Departments in Massachusetts. Lawrence General offers a broad range of services and specialty surgeries in its Santagati Center for surgery and leads the region in cardiac care with Massachusetts’ most highly accredited cardiovascular center. With more than 10,000 inpatient discharges per year, 1,400 births, and a dedicated team of nearly 2,000 employees, Lawrence General has proudly served the region since 1875 and is a major acute care provider of emergency, surgical, medical, maternity and newborn care for the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. For more information, visit www.LawrenceGeneral.org.
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