In 2021, HIA highlighted Virtua Health's approach to addressing food insecurity in South Jersey through its Eat Well initiative. Read on to understand how the Virtua team has scaled the initiative into a portfolio of programs targeted at both community members and colleagues that are experiencing food insecurity. The case study includes details on program operations, strategies for accessing sustained funding, and a deep dive into lessons learned through scale.
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Contact usLessons Learned
• Providing access to food creates opportunities to address additional health-related needs: Preventative screening access was highlighted as a gap in Virtua's 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, prompting a strategic pivot to co-locate their mobile screening units (i.e., Pediatric Mobile Service Unit, Mobile Health and Cancer Screening Unit) with Eat Well's mobile units.
• Virtua colleagues prefer pre-packaged meal boxes over a "complete choice" model: After a few months of trial and error, the program team iterated on its initial approach to create pre-packaged boxes with an assortment of ingredients that could be used to make 3-5 meals a week.
• A consistent approach to storytelling and culture opens avenues for program sustainability: Through executive leadership endorsement, Virtua's government relations leaders collaborated with state legislators to expand program operations, securing a $1.5 million allocation through a state appropriations bill.