Ballad Health’s mission is to honor those we serve by delivering the best possible care. Sometimes, that care moves beyond the walls of our hospitals. A critical component to health is having access to nutritious food – which many people in our region simply do not. Roughly 15% of residents in the Ballad Health footprint experience food insecurity.
As part of our effort to fight against regional food instability, Ballad Health has partnered with Feeding Southwest Virginia to pilot a food distribution program of 1,100 healthy food boxes to patients at Johnston Memorial Hospital and Bristol Regional Medical Center. The first phase of the pilot will run through June 30.
This work is part of Ballad Health’s Community Health Improvement Program (CHI), which works closely with regional organizations to support specific goals and strategies to improve population health outcomes for all citizens of the Appalachian Highlands.
The Healthy Food Box program is integrated into the Epic system. After answering a series of social health related screener questions, Epic flags patients that need immediate access to food. Team members identify a patient with food insecurity and then contact the patient’s case manager listed on the Care Team in Epic or the Appalachian Highlands Care Network Community Health Navigator. Upon discharge, those patients leave with a nonperishable, healthy food box.
Furthermore, qualifying patients receive follow-up services from the Appalachian Highlands Care Network to meet other social- and medical-related health needs, from applying for eligible state and federal benefits, to donated specialty care for the uninsured, to utility assistance, ongoing food security solutions, and more.
“Our Community Health Improvement partnerships, like the one with Feeding Southwest Virginia, entwined with EPIC, epitomize innovation in healthcare,” said Dr. Paula Masters, Chief Disparities Officer of Ballad Health. “Collaboration becomes our most powerful tool against health disparities. This kind of synergy doesn’t just treat symptoms; it addresses the root causes of health disparities, rewriting the narrative of wellness for the Appalachian Highlands. We hope to see this program scaled across the system.”
So far, the pilot is seeing a welcomed success. “The healthy food box program at Johnston Memorial and Bristol Regional is more than a service to our patients,” said John Jeter, CEO and vice president of the two hospitals. “It’s a broader commitment to our mission and allows us to create a new continuum of care that extends beyond the hospital walls.”
About Appalachian Highlands Care Network
The Appalachian Highlands Care Network (AHCN) is Ballad Health’s commitment to individuals with limited financial resources and who do not have health insurance. AHCN team members work in Ballad Health facilities, community clinics, health departments and community resource agencies to connect people to what they need to improve their health. While they work on linking individuals with a primary care provider, specialty appointments and preventative care, AHCN team members are also focused on helping people access resources that meet their basic needs, like food, housing and utilities connection.
About Feeding Southwest Virginia
Feeding Southwest Virginia was founded in 1981 and proudly commemorates over 40 years of fighting hunger and changing lives through community partnerships. The primary function of their Food Bank Program is to secure large quantities of food for the hungry. Over $33 million worth of food and grocery-related products are channeled through a network of 380 partner feeding programs in our 26-county, 9-city region that provide food or meals to those in need.
