Following through on their commitment to end hunger and build healthy communities, the Food is Medicine Institute at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and Kaiser Permanente announce the official launch of the Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence. The network’s mission is to develop, convene, and share best practices in Food is Medicine to improve well-being, equity, and efficiency in health care.

In addition to the Food is Medicine Institute and Kaiser Permanente, the network’s founding members include health care organizations Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, CVS Health, Devoted Health, Elevance Health, Geisinger, and Highmark Health. 

Emerging research suggests that food-based policies and programs—such as medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, and nutrition education—can significantly reduce diet-related medical conditions and associated healthcare costs. Food is Medicine strategies also help provide adults and families with children access to nutritious meals regardless of their location or income level.

“Each year, suboptimal diets and food insecurity cause more than 500,000 deaths and cost the U.S. economy $1.1 trillion in health care and lost productivity,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute. “By working together, we can scale evidence-based nutritional interventions that are driving change, improving health, and reducing disparities.”

The network will lead the nation in collaborative efforts to integrate nutritional interventions that both transform and adapt to existing treatment models, harnessing the latest in research and training to enhance patient care and education as well as raise rates of patient buy-in and participation. The network will pursue three interconnected priorities. 

• Members will develop frameworks to assess the impact of Food is Medicine interventions, measuring health outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
• The network will share insights and identify opportunities to optimize program design and delivery.
• Members will promote the effectiveness of Food is Medicine through industry engagement and communication with policymakers and the public.

“Kaiser Permanente has been testing Food is Medicine programs for several years,” said Pamela Schwartz, executive director for Community Health at Kaiser Permanente. “We’re excited by their potential to improve health. That’s why we’re expanding these efforts and using our findings to help other health care organizations do the same.”

For more information about the Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence, please visit Network of Excellence - Food is Medicine.