Food as Medicine program delivers groceries and household essentials to patients at higher risk for contracting COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how many of us go about running essential errands, such as shopping for groceries. For those living with significant health conditions, the once-simple task of a taking a trip to the local market now comes with greater risks.
That’s where the Food as Medicine program comes in. Launched this past spring by North Memorial Health, North Market and Pillsbury United Communities, the pilot program delivers groceries weekly to at-risk patients in the Camden neighborhood of Minneapolis.
“If you have that compromised immune system, you don’t necessarily want to leave your house,” says Lavelle Warfield, operations manager at North Market, a full-service grocery store and community wellness gathering space in north Minneapolis.
The Food as Medicine program has 30 participants in its pilot phase, each receiving grocery deliveries for 12 weeks. Patients can tailor their grocery lists to include a variety of healthy foods, along with household essentials and even a few “fun” food items. The groceries are delivered to a patient’s home by a team of community paramedics from North Memorial Health.
“It’s really customized to each individual participant,” says Lavelle. “If you like salmon, that’s an option on the list. If you like lean chicken breasts, that’s an option, too.”
In addition to delivering the groceries, the community paramedics perform a wellness check at the patient’s home. If a patient is experiencing any symptoms, whether they’re related to COVID or another illness, the paramedics can then determine the best course of action to get them the testing or treatment they need.
“The community paramedics can really offer that safe delivery as well as provide that hands-on, face to face care with the patients in their homes,” says Nicky Mack, program manager for community care management at North Memorial Health.
Nicky says during a recent delivery, a patient was able to talk to the community paramedic about some COVID-like symptoms they were having. That paramedic was able to evaluate the patient’s symptoms, in real-time, and get them connected with testing for COVID-19.
Nicky says the Food as Medicine program is a great opportunity to help at-risk patients stay safe and healthy during this time of uncertainty.
“Food is a vital piece of the health and wellbeing of our customers and our communities,” she says. “With this type of program, we bring that directly to the patient and take out the added step of exposure during COVID-19.”