California’s “Food Is Medicine” Pilot Project Delivers Encouraging First-Year Observations

Three-year nutrition intervention project aims to save taxpayer dollars by
reducing hospital admissions.

For Immediate Release: June 20, 2019
Health Trust CalFIMC Contact: Gustavo Caraveo | gustavoc@healthtrust.org | 408.513.8740

San Jose CA – The California Food Is Medicine Coalition reports that preliminary observations of a state-funded Medically Tailored Meals pilot project align with the goal of using food and nutrition therapy to improve the health of low-income Californians living with chronic illnesses, and heart failure in particular. Heart failure is a substantial burden on the US healthcare system, affecting 5.7 million Americans at an annual cost of $30.7 billion.[1] Of these costs, 68% are attributed to direct medical expenditures, a large portion because of hospitalizations for decompensated heart failure.[2]

The three-year, $6 million project targets Medi-Cal (Medicaid) patients who suffer from ongoing congestive heart failure and provides 12 weeks of meals at no charge that adhere to evidence-based nutrition guidelines. During the Medically Tailored Meal Intervention, a registered dietitian administers a CalFIMC-approved nutrition education curriculum, in-home, virtual, and telephonic nutrition education, wellness checks, and an assessment of program participants.

Richard Ayoub, chair of CalFIMC and executive director of Project Angel Food in Los Angeles, explains the program concluded its first 12 months April 30, 2019. “Participants who completed the program during its first year reported hospital re-admission rates consistent with reduced re-admission rates of similar intervention programs across the country,” Ayoub says. “Additionally, patients who completed the CalFIMC program reported improved health outcomes over the course of the intervention.”

CalFIMC comprises six community-based non-profit organizations: Project Open Hand in San Francisco, Ceres Community Project and Food For Thought in the San Francisco North Bay area, The Health Trust in San Jose, Project Angel Food in Los Angeles, and Mama’s Kitchen in San Diego. Each organization is implementing the pilot in its local area.

“The observations from year one are very encouraging,” said Michele, Lew, CEO of The Health Trust. “Our success, locally, can be directly attributed to the strength of the partnerships we’ve created with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Santa Clara Family Health Plan, and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs. As the improving health through food movement grows, we will continue to strengthen our local partnerships to ensure qualified residents receive the benefits of this pilot.”

CalFIMC is part of a national movement to employ medically tailored nutrition and food interventions as a way to improve health outcomes, decrease hospitalizations, and impact healthcare costs. A study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine adds to a growing body of evidence tying medically tailored meals to reduced healthcare utilization.

Funded through California Senate Bill (SB) 97, the program allocates $6 million dollars to the CalFIMC pilot project over a three-year period culminating in 2021. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) oversees and will evaluate final results.

To learn more or refer patients, visit CalFIMC for information on local pilot programs.

[1] Mozaffarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, Arnett DK, Blaha MJ, Cushman M, de Ferranti S, Després JP, Fullerton HJ, Howard VJ, Huffman MD, Judd SE, Kissela BM, Lackland DT, Lichtman JH, Lisabeth LD, Liu S, Mackey RH, Matchar DB, McGuire DK, Mohler ER, Moy CS, Muntner P, Mussolino ME, Nasir K, Neumar RW, Nichol G, Palaniappan L, Pandey DK, Reeves MJ, Rodriguez CJ, Sorlie PD, Stein J, Towfighi A, Turan TN, Virani SS, Willey JZ, Woo D, Yeh RW, Turner MB; American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics–2015 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2015; 131:e29–322. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000152.

[2] Jencks SF, Williams MV, Coleman EA. Rehospitalizations among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program. N Engl J Med. 2009; 360:1418–1428. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa0803563.

# # #

About The California Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC):
The Food is Medicine Coalition (FIMC) is an association of nonprofit, medically tailored food and nutrition services (FNS) providers from across the country. The FIMC advances public policy that supports access to food and nutrition services for people with severe and/or chronic illnesses; promotes research on the efficacy of food and nutrition services on health outcomes and cost of care; and shares best practices in the provision of medically tailored meals and of nutrition education and counseling. Project Open Hand, Ceres Community Project, Project Angel Food, Mama’s Kitchen, Food For Thought and The Health Trust represent a California contingency of the Food Is Medicine Coalition.

About The Health Trust
The Health Trust is an operating foundation founded in 1996. Our mission is to build health equity in Silicon Valley. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to be healthy – especially the most vulnerable. To that end, we fund community-based organizations and public agencies whose work aligns with our mission, provide direct services, and advocate for policies and initiatives that help advance our mission. To learn more, please visit healthtrust.org.

Download PDF of Press Release