January 26, 2024- In an effort to identify effective food is medicine approaches for incorporating healthy food into health care delivery, the American Heart Association announced grants totaling $7.8 million to 19 research projects nationwide as part of its Health Care by Food™ initiative.
The research projects focus on areas including food resource coaching for patients of a safety-net clinic, delivering food is medicine interventions in underserved communities, the impact of a produce delivery program on patients with heart failure and implementing food prescription programs in older adults. Overall, the projects will examine the efficacy of strategic approaches for providing healthy food as part of patient care to help treat, manage and prevent chronic health conditions in ways that alleviate health inequities.
With anchor support from The Rockefeller Foundation and contributions from inaugural collaborator Kroger, with additional support from Instacart, Kaiser Permanente and Walmart Foundation, the Association’s Health Care by Food™ initiative is engaging in scientific research and public policy advocacy to promote the adoption of interventions that reduce chronic health conditions and curb health care costs. The initiative was first announced at the September 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health by the Association and The Rockefeller Foundation.