As the CEO of Hunger-Free PA and statewide chair of the Policy Group for the Food as Healthcare Coalition, I have seen firsthand how the lack of access to nutritious food is not just a symptom of poverty, but also a primary driver of chronic disease. It is time for a fundamental shift in our approach. We must move beyond the model of emergency food assistance alone and embrace an integrated, clinical and sustainable model that recognizes nutrition as a medical intervention: F

For decades, we have viewed hunger as a social crisis and treated healthcare as a clinical one. We have managed them on parallel tracks — one by food banks and the other by hospitals. But it is now time for a fundamental shift in our approach. We must move beyond the model of emergency food assistance alone and embrace an integrated, clinical and sustainable model that recognizes nutrition as a medical intervention.

The Heinz Endowments has awarded a $20,000 grant to Hunger-Free Pennsylvania (HFPA) to support efforts to integrate food and nutrition into health care delivery across southwestern Pennsylvania.