AEH Vital Session Highlight: Targeting Food Insecurity with a Market-Pantry Hybrid Model

In Case You Missed It: AEH VITAL 2023

Sellers Dorsey recently attended AEH VITAL 2023 and is pleased to share insights from an engaging session, “Targeting Food Insecurity with a Market-Pantry Hybrid Model,” led by Medical Director of Eskenazi Health, Deanna Reinoso M.D. The session explored how Eskenazi Health continues to address food insecurity with a market-pantry that offers a variety of grocery items to individuals who are considered food insecure.

Setting precedent for other health systems, the market-pantry initiative sheds light on how hospitals can target food insecurity and improve access to quality nutrition for underserved populations including Medicaid beneficiaries. The program works by providing food insecurity screenings to patients throughout the health system, which helps increase awareness of food insecurity and prioritize it as a significant health issue. As a result, the market-pantry initiative helps fight the stigma often associated with utilizing food pantries for those who need them.

Additionally, the program is self-sustaining as some of the profits from the market fund its operations. Overall, this innovative market-pantry program can serve as a model for health systems across the country looking to address food insecurity and improve access to quality nutrition for underserved populations.

As part of Sellers Dorsey’s mission to improve healthcare access, quality, and equity in Medicaid, food insecurity presents significant challenges for Medicaid beneficiaries nationwide, demonstrating that food insecurity is indeed a healthcare issue. If you’d like to learn more about how the U.S. healthcare system is addressing food insecurity, Sellers Dorsey is creating a whitepaper that includes everything you need to know. Stay tuned for more updates by following us on social and signing up for our newsletter!