UH Food for Life Markets: Addressing Food Insecurity and Related Chronic Illnesses Through Nutrition Programming

Food insecurity, defined by the USDA Economic Research Service as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources, is increasingly recognized as a substantial threat to the health and well-being of patients with or without chronic conditions. Embedded within a regionally-integrated healthcare system, the University Hospitals Food for Life Market (FFLM) is a program designed to both provide food and leverage dietitians’ expertise to ensure that the food provided meets patients' medical needs.

In this session, leaders from FFLM present a series of case studies illustrating the influence of food insecurity on nutrition needs and goals for patients representing a variety of clinical scenarios; outline strategies to address these needs that are amenable to implementation in healthcare settings; and detail key measures that speak to dietitians' effectiveness in identifying and addressing food-insecure patients’ nutrition and related resource and service needs.

CPE Level: Level 1 (basic knowledge/experience)
CPEU: 1.0

Performance Indicators

• 3.3.1 Educates clients and other stakeholders on the need for and availability of food and nutritional services.
• 4.2.7 Identifies and implements a plan to address opportunities and challenges.
• 10.3.4 Selects interventions intended to resolve or improve nutrition diagnoses.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the influence of food insecurity on nutrition goals for patients with chronic illness.
• Identify intervention strategies to meet the needs of food insecure patients with chronic illness.
• Define process and outcome measures that speak to the needs of patients experiencing food insecurity.

Moderator

• Lacresha Johnson

Speakers

• Celina Cunanan
• Anne Leach