Cod and ‘Immune Broth': California Tests Food as Medicine

In Massachusetts, a local health care institution has teamed up with a handful of community-based organizations to help those who are facing food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic. The program includes screening patients who come in with COVID-19 symptoms also for food insecurity and then placing those who are high-risk on a grocery delivery schedule so that they can "recover safely at home," rather than wait in lines at the food pantry where they could potentially spread the virus.

Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute in Connecticut has expanded its reach to specifically target rural communities, which has played a role in the declining rates of “potentially preventable” cancer deaths. Both employing foreign-born doctors who have specific specialities and who better align with the demographics of the counties and creating clinics that are inclusive of all necessary testing and treatment have helped bridge a gap in care for those living outside of major cities.

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, and other food banks across the country, are working to provide more comprehensive services for the food-insecure people they serve; those services include partnering with community organizations to help with employment, health care, and housing.

mDoc's Garden in a Box initiative distributes biodegradable seed kits to pregnant women identified through nutritional screening as having critical dietary gaps. The women are enrolled through a structured coaching and referral system in primary healthcare facilities and community outreach points, and receive ongoing support via a digital health platform. More than 300 women have been referred to the initiative and 96% collected a seed box.

Women volunteers with PHC Kara are going into the community to share important healthcare information with pregnant women, in an effort to improve maternal and infant mortality rates and health outcomes. The group has also received support and recognition from UNICEF’S Mama2Mama healthcare initiative and Rural Health Mission Nigeria, providing them with clean birth kits and other supplies to distribute to women.

Operated by The Neo Child Initiative, the ReachOut Project provides nutrional counseling and screening to parents and their children in underserved communities, free of charge. Since 2015, the ReachOut Project has supported 20,000 people across 10 communities in the state.

Common Pantry provides assistance to those facing food insecurity, and recently opened a new facility to offer housing information and assistance with job searches, government benefits, health care and other services. The Pantry also started a nutrition program, teaching people about the science between food and health, as well as how to cook healthy meals at home.

InSHAPE provides access to tailored health and fitness programs for people living with serious mental illnesses, helping them quit drinking and smoking, learn about nutrition and build a sense of community through gym memberships and workout groups. InSHAPE has been operating for 20 years, and studies show 60% of participants have clinically significant improvements in their physical health after a year in the program.

Produce prescription programs like FreshRx Oklahoma and Recipe4Health are taking off as ways to combat heart problems and other diseases like diabetes. These programs provide free fruits and veggies to participants, helping increase access to healthy foods and address food insecurity. Research over the course of a year shows Recipe4Health participants significantly lowered their cholesterol and food security rates among participants dropped from 59% to 48%.

Double Up Food Bucks offers dollar-for-dollar matching of up to $10 daily for fresh fruits and vegetables for those enrolled in SNAP. The program addresses affordability issues that historically prevented people from accessing fresh, nutritious foods. Double Up Food Bucks works with more than 250 grocery stores throughout the state to provide widespread access to fresh produce.