Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Receives $150,000 From Amerigroup Foundation to Continue 'Food as Medicine' Program

Nashville, Tenn. – June 7, 2023 – Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee announced today a $150,000 grant from the Amerigroup Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Foundation, to continue the ‘Food as Medicine’ program. This initiative will support Second Harvest as it collaborates with Neighborhood Health to screen patients for food insecurity during health care visits. The health care partner will then connect patients who screen positive for food insecurity to food assistance resources onsite at health care facilities and at community-based food pantries and meal programs.

The ‘Food as Medicine’ program, a Feeding America® initiative funded by the Amerigroup Foundation, will help connect approximately 1,200 people facing hunger in Middle and West Tennessee to food distribution programs that provide access to healthy food options. The program aims to screen between 45,000 and 54,000 patients over the next three years with the goal of improving food security and health outcomes. This phase of the program will help Second Harvest and Neighborhood Health implement enhanced data collection, sharing and analysis to better understand the needs of people facing hunger and deliver effective solutions.

“Our partnership with Neighborhood Health through their Food Pharmacy initiative has allowed us to address the intersection of hunger and health through meeting the unique nutritional needs of the patients served through their network of 11 health centers,” said Amy Qazi, R.D. and Senior Manager of Innovation & Programs at Second Harvest. “We understand the negative health implications food insecurity can have and are grateful for our partnership with Neighborhood Health to ensure the excellent care they provide is supplemented by nourishment through the Food Pharmacies. We want our neighbors to thrive, and excellent health care and nourishment for all is a step in the right direction to help achieve this. We are excited to grow and expand this partnership and to continue serving our neighbors!”

“Neighborhood Health is a non-profit system of 11 neighborhood health centers in and around Nashville and Lebanon. We have proudly served the people of Middle Tennessee for more than 45 years without regard to their insurance status or ability to pay,” said Brian Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health. “Today, we provide medical, prenatal, dental, and behavioral health care to over 31,000 people of all ages, 59% of whom have no health insurance. Because of the trust we have earned with patients, Neighborhood Health has become the largest safety net provider of primary care in Middle Tennessee – and the largest provider to African Americans - and, more generally, persons of color.”

Roughly 30% of the encounters in which Neighborhood Health distributes food is with persons aged 50 and older. This is significant since these patients are disproportionately likely to have chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia that are exacerbated by food insecurity. The provision of food has a direct and beneficial effect, but it also has a broader impact. The proportion of hypertensive patients at Neighborhood Health with controlled hypertension increased by 9.5% percentage points in 2022 compared to 2021. Similarly, the proportion of diabetic patients at Neighborhood Health with controlled diabetes increased by 6.9% percentage points in 2022 compared to 2021. These improvements are attributed to the Food Pharmacy expansion, a new virtual disease case management program which links to the Food Pharmacy, and efforts to improve clinic-based measurement which is aided by the return of patients for follow-up visits who have benefited from the Food Pharmacy.

For the past three years, Second Harvest has partnered with Neighborhood Health to provide Food Pharmacies in ten of their clinics. Amerigroup Foundation grant funds will provide continued support to Neighborhood Health’s Food Pharmacies. There are nine clinics in Davidson County and one in Wilson County. Second Harvest provides a healthy mix of foods at each site, including shelf-stable foods, frozen meals, produce, and milk, and each Food Pharmacy follows a client choice model ensuring that patients can receive foods necessary to best meet their needs. Sites include Cayce Clinic, Casa Azafran Clinic, Cleveland Park Clinic, Inglewood Clinic, Madison Clinic, Napier Clinic, Welshwood Clinic, Lebanon Clinic, and the Downtown Clinic.

In addition to food support provided to the ten clinics, the Amerigroup Foundation funding will provide food for Neighborhood Health’s Street Medicine program, a clinic on wheels that provides medical aid to those that are unhoused. Since the start of this fiscal year, over 100,000 meals have been provided to neighbors in need through the Food Pharmacies at Neighborhood Health, and with the Amerigroup Foundation funding, the program will be able to reach more people as the program continues to grow over the next three years.

“We have long championed for better access to nutritious foods in the communities we serve – understanding the integral link between healthy food options and its impact on overall health,” said Natalie Cooper, Amerigroup Tennessee President. “This unique partnership will continue to allow clinical staff to conduct universal food insecurity screenings and interventions. Our partners are committed to health equity and whole health and have a deep understanding of the health-related needs of the populations they serve.”

Food security and health are inextricably linked. The lack of access to nutritious foods can have serious, long-term effects on health and well-being, and it can make managing existing chronic conditions more difficult for people facing hunger.1 The ‘Food as Medicine’ program will provide Second Harvest and Neighborhood Health with data collection capabilities that will help identify learnings and best practices to enable positive health outcomes in participants. Second Harvest, a member of the Feeding America network, is one of 21 food banks to receive this funding from the Amerigroup Foundation.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

For more than 40 years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has followed its mission to provide food to people facing hunger and work to advance hunger solutions. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Second Harvest distributes food and other products to approximately 420 nonprofit partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Our partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities, senior centers, group homes, and youth enrichment programs. For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, its mission and programs, please visit secondharvestmidtn.org.

About Neighborhood Health

Neighborhood Health, formerly United Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., has proudly served the people of Middle Tennessee for more than 45 years without regard to their insurance status or ability to pay. Today, the organization provides medical, prenatal, dental and behavioral health care to over 31,000 people of all ages, 59% of whom have no health insurance. Because of the trust earned with patients, Neighborhood Health has become the largest safety net provider of primary care in Middle Tennessee.