The Foodbank and area health professionals are acutely aware that there is a direct correlation between food insecurity and poor health outcomes. For the past few years, the Foodbank has been exploring partnership models to increase access to nutritious food when the need is identified in a healthcare setting.
Countless studies show that limited access to healthy food can have serious implications for children’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity. There’s a link between food insecurity and delayed development in young children; risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia; and behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety and aggression in school-age children.
Regardless of age, healthy bodies and minds require nutritious meals. A Feeding America study reveals that communities with the highest rates of food insecurity face a higher prevalence for diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. These issues result in increased medical bills creating a cyclical problem that’s difficult to escape.
A partnership between the Foodbank and University Hospitals Portage Medical Center (UH) was recently formed to help combat the cyclical intersection of hunger and health. Earlier this year, UH Portage launched the UH Food for Life Market, an onsite pantry holistically addressing food insecurity and the medical conditions, including chronic health conditions, that are impacted by nutrition and access to healthy food. The pantry is stocked with a variety of nutritious foods, including whole grains, dairy, fresh and frozen produce, canned fruits, vegetables and meat products.
The fact that the pantry is staffed by a dietitian makes this pantry experience unique within the Foodbank’s network. The health system has implemented a preventive food as medicine model to address hunger and its long-term negative health consequences.
“We’re excited to close the gap – there are so many individuals in need. You can be food insecure one month, but not the next. It’s being there for them when they need us,” explained Anne Leach, registered dietitian nutritionist and director, clinical and community nutrition—Sodexo Healthcare at University Hospitals.
All patients at UH Portage identified as food insecure will receive a referral from their doctor to visit the pantry. If they meet the necessary requirements, the patient will receive a week’s worth of healthy food at no cost, as well as a one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian. Healthy recipes, meal preparation tips and cooking demonstrations will also be offered.
The Foodbank hopes to replicate this type of partnership across other health systems throughout our eight-county service area.
“We’ve been talking about these kinds of partnerships for a long time,” said Jill Oldham, director of strategic partnerships and initiatives at the Foodbank. “We’re excited to bring food to people in a new way. Healthcare providers who conduct food insecurity screenings with their patients and make immediate referrals to a food pantry located in or near the medical office significantly increases the odds patients will get the food they need for their families.”