The Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University and Kaiser Permanente have initiated the Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence. This network aims to share best practices in Food is Medicine to enhance well-being, equity, and efficiency in healthcare.

Founding members include healthcare organizations such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, CVS Health, Devoted Health, Elevance Health, Geisinger, and Highmark Health. Research indicates that food-based policies—like medically tailored meals and nutrition education—can reduce diet-related conditions and healthcare costs. These strategies aim to provide access to nutritious meals regardless of location or income.

Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute, stated, “Each year, suboptimal diets and food insecurity cause more than 500,000 deaths and cost the U.S. economy $1.1 trillion in health care and lost productivity.”

On January 31, 2025, the network’s members convened to begin collaborative efforts to integrate nutritional interventions into existing treatment models. The network will focus on developing frameworks to assess the impact of these interventions, sharing insights to optimize program design, and promoting the effectiveness of Food is Medicine through industry engagement.

Pamela Schwartz, executive director for Community Health at Kaiser Permanente, noted, “Kaiser Permanente has been testing Food is Medicine programs for several years. We’re excited by their potential to improve health. That’s why we’re expanding these efforts and using our findings to help other healthcare organizations do the same.”

Source: Tufts Now