Grant will fund a new program, which uses the healthcare
setting to help address food insecurity, build food bank and clinic
partnerships with the goal of improving patient health outcomes
NEWS PROVIDED BY Feeding
America Jun 25, 2019, 08:55 ET
CHICAGO, June 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Feeding America®, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization,
announced a $1 million grant from the Anthem Foundation, the
philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., to launch the 'Food is Medicine' program at
Feeding America member food banks.
The grant will fund a year-long program at seven food banks
as they partner with hospital outpatient clinics to support clinic staff with
the implementation of processes and procedures to conduct universal food
insecurity screenings and interventions. The effort will help connect people facing
hunger to food distribution programs to ensure they have access to healthy food
options. The program aims to screen between 3,000 and 4,000 patients in the
course of a year at each location where the 'Food is Medicine' program is in
place.
Participating food banks and hospitals include the
following:
·
Atlanta Community Food Bank and Grady Memorial
Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia
·
Dare to Care Food Bank and local healthcare
provider, Louisville, Kentucky
·
Feed More and VCU Health System, Richmond, Virginia
·
Freestore Foodbank and UC Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
·
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and Eskenazi
Health, Indianapolis, Indiana
·
Houston Food Bank and Harris Health System, Houston,
Texas
·
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and
Nashville General Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee
Feeding America member food banks will also support
individuals facing hunger by assessing their eligibility for federal nutrition
programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, to help
provide them with long-term access to nutritious food. The food banks will
offer nutrition education programming to further increase participants'
capacity to adopt healthy food choices and habits.
"The 'Food is Medicine' program highlights the critical
role that food banks can play in ensuring everyone has access to the nutritious
food they need to stay healthy. By supporting families with consistent access
to healthy food, we believe that food insecurity screening and interventions
allow patients to better manage their health," said Hilary Seligman,
MD, senior medical advisor at Feeding America. "We are thankful to the
Anthem Foundation for its partnership, which will help Feeding America partner
with healthcare providers to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable in our
communities."
"Food insecurity is a pressing issue facing our
communities, one that impacts the health and well-being of many – particularly those
with chronic health conditions," said Stephen Friedhoff, MD, chief
clinical officer at Anthem. "Anthem Foundation's partnership with
Feeding America is critical in addressing this issue as we work to improve
lives and communities. Through this unique program, we'll help remove barriers
and create better access to food distribution in a healthcare setting, and in
doing so, we'll work to ensure individuals facing illness or chronic conditions
have access to healthy and nutritious food."
Hunger impacts people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
In the United States, it is estimated almost 12 percent of all households
were food insecure at some point during a given year.1 The
consequences of food insecurity are strongly associated with poor nutrition and
are linked to negative impacts on health for people across their lifespan.
The new 'Food is Medicine' program introduces a role in
which healthcare providers and essential hospital systems will be able to be a
part of the ongoing efforts to identify individuals affected by food insecurity
and addressing their health and nutrition needs. Since 2004, Anthem Foundation
and Feeding America have partnered to address hunger-relief efforts and
continue to work together in helping to improve the health of the communities
they serve.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization
in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food
pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people
each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and
improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the
problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from
going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role
in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve
hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
About Anthem Foundation
The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem,
Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes
the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of
individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated
health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives
that make up its Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative
that targets: maternal health, diabetes prevention, cancer prevention, heart
health and healthy, active lifestyles, behavioral health efforts and programs
that benefit people with disabilities. The Foundation also coordinates the
company's year-round Dollars for Dollars program which provides a 100 percent
match of associates' donations, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars
for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem
Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation and its blog at https://medium.com/anthemfoundation.
1 USDA, Economic Research Service, using data from
the December 2017 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement.
Contact: Zuani Villarreal
312.641.6532
312.641.6532
SOURCE Feeding America
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