Food Prescription Program

In our final example of a food in health care project, we welcome guests Chelsey Canavan and Natalie Romano from Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Jennifer Fontaine from the Upper Valley Haven to discuss a new Food Prescription pilot.

You may have also heard of Produce Prescriptions, which are a way for health care practices to help patients increase their fruit and vegetable consumption. Produce Prescriptions have a variety of sources for support, including from the USDA, and you can read examples of different forms these programs take here. This Food Prescription project includes plenty of produce, but provides a more full diet with whole grains, dairy, and lean protein as well.

One thing mentioned in this episode is waivers and forms that allow organizations to share patient information. The Harvard Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation published a guide in 2020 on navigating HIPAA in food and health care partnerships.

Also, here is the article on which I based my comment that we don't produce enough fruits and vegetables to meet basic dietary recommendations.

This episode covered a lot of territory and pulled together many themes from the season. Join us next episode for the season finale.