"I was able to get more fresh veggies and items I wouldn’t normally be able to afford. My insulin is better now too!”
1 in 3 patients with chronic illness are unable to afford food, medications, or both. To help address this, Gleaners Community Food Bank has made partnering with the health initiatives an integral part of our strategic plan. Investing in strategic partnerships with healthcare enables us to reach people experiencing food insecurity who wouldn't have been able to reach before. And the impact of food security on any individual’s health and wellbeing is clear: having access to healthy, nutritious food is better for health outcomes.
IMPACT OF HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS
To date, thousands of people in active healthcare – including people managing various chronic diseases, pregnant women and families with young children - have received nutritious foods, including fresh produce, through our various health-focused partnerships – improving food security and health outcomes.
WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HUNGER & HEALTH?
This video by Feeding America illustrates the cycle of food insecurity and health, and how we can each be part of the solution.
In 2015, Feeding America conducted a 2-year randomized controlled research study of food bank interventions on outcomes for people living with type 2 diabetes. Gleaners was one of 3 participating food banks in the trial, titled “Feeding America Intervention Trial for Health – Diabetes Mellitus” (FAITH-DM). In many ways, this trial led to an increase in partnerships between healthcare organizations and food banks.
Food banks and their network are a trusted resource and efficient way to get healthy food into the hands of people experiencing food insecurity. Click here for more information about why healthcare and food bank partnerships are critical in Michigan.
GLEANERS’ HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS TO DATE
Over the past 10 years, Gleaners’ has partnered in research studies and pilot programs with various healthcare organizations, aiming to examine the impact of food security on individuals’ overall health.
In our partnership with Henry Ford Health System, through a program called Henry’s Groceries (launched in 2017), patients experiencing food insecurity received healthy, nutritious food delivered to their doorstep twice a month for one year. In addition, patients received nutrition education in the form of handouts, healthy recipes, and the option to participate in group cooking & nutrition classes. Overall, results showed improvements in food security as well as reductions in emergency department and inpatient hospital visits.
For more information on this partnership and outcomes, please see the following peer-reviewed journal publication: Community partnership to evaluate the feasibility of addressing food insecurity among adults patients in an urban healthcare system.
Most recently, Gleaners will help execute support for participants in the State of Michigan Medicaid program. "In Lieu of Service" (ILOS) are medically-appropriate and cost-effective services that are considered substitutes for medical services covered under the State of Michigan Medicaid program. Gleaners has contracted with the Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM), who is a credentialed ILOS program provider to Michigan Medicaid managed health plans (MHPs), to provide healthy food packs to eligible program enrollees. Gleaners is the statewide source for the shelf-stable food box for all of FBCM’s managed program enrollees, as well as the direct delivery provider to program participants in Wayne, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties. Each program participant receives a 15-pound box of nutritious shelf-stable proteins, grains, canned fruits and canned vegetables, along with a 16-pound box of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, every two weeks.
In addition to Henry Ford Health System, key healthcare partners include Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center, Covenant Community Care, National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital – Livingston, United Health Care, Project Well (now Nourished Rx). Through each of these partnerships, patients have received a combination of healthy foods paired with nutrition education.
SPONSORING PARTNERS
Gleaners is grateful for funding support for this work, from the following partners: Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Wayne State University, Henry Ford Health System, Feeding America.
For inquiries regarding healthcare partnerships, please reach out to Jessica Ramsay, Director of Wellness & Nutrition Education, at jramsay@gcfb.org.
LOOKING FOR FOOD AND OTHER RESOURCES?
For food resources near you, please visit:
For nutrition education resources such as health recipes, cooking demonstration videos and more, visit:
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