MADISON HEIGHTS, Va. – As part of its ongoing work to address food insecurity the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation announced a $400,000 grant for Virginia Community Healthcare Association to launch its “Food as Medicine” program.
“Understanding food‘s critical role in health is essential for effective prevention and treatment of diet-related diseases that lead to chronic illnesses,” said Tracy Douglas, VCHA’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the support of this generous grant, VCHA’s Food as Medicine program is designed to meet Virginia’s CHC patients where they are in their food choices, furthering our mission to enhance our member health centers’ ability to provide affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare to the communities they serve, and expanding our reach to residents who face challenges in accessing high-quality healthcare services.
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”This grant represents our ongoing mission for whole health embracing healthy lifestyles and addressing social determinants of health and their impact on the lives of Virginians,” said Aaron Lambert, president of Anthem HealthKeepers in Virginia. “Making healthy food choices creates the solid foundation that our members need to live meaningful, productive lives.”
The Anthem Foundation grant will support VCHA’s nutrition-based initiatives to assist 200+ FQHC sites and community partners in their efforts to improve the nutrition status for patients and their health outcomes.
Tuesday afternoon the VCHA launched their program at Johnson Health Center‘s new facility in Madison Heights. The event included a check presentation and a cooking demonstration from VCHA’s registered dietitian.