Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital has received a $25,000 grant from Community Foundation Tampa Bay to expand its Food as Medicine program to pediatric patients through the TampaWell Food Pharmacy.
The funding will support expansion of the health system’s existing food pharmacy at TGH Healthpark in East Tampa, according to a June 23 hospital news release. The pediatric program will provide medically tailored groceries, nutrition education and family-centered support to children identified as food insecure and living with nutrition-related health conditions.
Eligible pediatric patients and their families will receive fresh produce, pantry staples and customized grocery boxes tailored to their medical needs, along with nutrition counseling. The program also includes delivery partnerships intended to improve access to food.
The expansion comes as hospitals nationwide have broadened food-based interventions to address chronic disease and social determinants of health. Geisinger operates a food pharmacy that provides medically tailored meals, Kaiser Permanente has invested millions in food and nutrition interventions, and Trinity Health grows produce for patients through its hospital gardens. The movement has gained momentum even as hospitals contend with higher food costs and evolving federal nutrition guidance encouraging healthier hospital menus.
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