With Food Insecurity at Record Levels, NACHC and Abbott Partner on Local Solutions

Food insecurity reached its highest point in nearly a decade last year, with 18 million households in the U.S., or 13.5%, struggling at some point to secure enough food, according to a recent Department of Agriculture report. Hunger has been on the rise in the country since 2021, after years of decline. U.S. Census Bureau data last year showed a rise in food insecurity after the end of programs that expanded food aid during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report comes as NACHC and the global healthcare company are working in partnership to boost access to healthy foods and improve health through the Innovation Incubator initiative. Eight Community Health Centers were selected to receive funding, expert guidance, and training to design and test new solutions to help advance nutrition and improve care in communities.

These health centers will develop and test new solutions over six months, putting the unique perspectives, experiences, and challenges of their communities at the forefront. Centers will be supported by subject matter experts across diverse fields through individualized coaching and mentoring to help design and implement their projects.

The participating health centers are:

• Affinia Healthcare, St. Louis
• Asian Health Services, Oakland, Calif.
• Cabin Creek Health Systems, Charleston, W.Va.
• Delaware Valley Community Health, Philadelphia
• White House Clinics, Richmond, Ky.
• Mainline Health Systems, Inc., Monticello, Ark.
• Tri-Area Community Health, Laurel Fork, Va.
• Urban Health Plan, New York, N.Y.

"Food insecurity severely impacts the health of underinvested communities," says NACHC President and CEO Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP. "We're thrilled to continue our collaboration with Abbott for the second year as the partner of choice in generating innovative solutions for population health. As the nation's largest primary care network, health centers' highly effective and innovative integrated model of care reaches beyond the walls of the traditional exam room to not only prevent illness but also address the social drivers that may cause poor health. Our focus this year is to create sustainable, effective strategies that solve food challenges and improve nutrition."

This is the second year of NACHC's partnership with Abbott. Last year's initiative supported eight NACHC-member health centers who reached more than 45,000 people in just seven months through projects effectively addressing health literacy challenges.

Filed under topic(s): Social Drivers of Health