Food is Medicine in Texas

Published: October 16, 2023

Food is Medicine in recent history is being defined as a set of interventions that include the provision of healthy food to prevent, manage, or treat specific clinical conditions in partnership with healthcare organizations, health plans, or both. These programs can be broadly grouped into three categories: Medically Tailored Meals, Produce Prescriptions, and Nutrition Incentives such as medically tailored groceries.

Food is Medicine as a concept has been gaining momentum as an effective approach for healthcare systems to mitigate and treat chronic disease and improve overall health for their patients. The potential for food to be a covered benefit has rapidly gained popularity across the country. Changes in Medicaid, including Section 1115 Medicaid waivers, are prompting health systems, community-based organizations, and even for-profit companies to develop programs and build the evidence base on the impact of Food Is Medicine programs.

At the Center for Health Equity, we are excited to announce the launch of our Design, Measurement and Evaluation Core to support the Food Is Medicine movement locally and nationally. Faculty and staff in this Core have expertise in health equity, community-engaged research, human-centered design, implementation science, data analytics, intervention mapping, program evaluation, clinical and community trials, and health communications expertise. This expertise will be available to health systems and organizations interested in implementing, evaluating, capacity building, or analytics related to Food Is Medicine. We can help design the right approach for your organization and the population you serve- building the right partnerships to achieve and sustain optimal outcomes. Reach out today to share what your organization is doing in this space, and how we can support you in your work.