Project Grant 20197003030411

FOR SOME TIME, DC GREENS HEARD FROM DOCTORS AROUND THE DISTRICT THAT THEY FELT UNABLE TO TRULY MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR LOW-INCOME PATIENTS WHO WERE ALSO FACING ISSUES PERTAINING TO DIET RELATED CHRONIC ILLNESSES. IN 2012, DC GREENS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IDENTIFIED A WAY TO EQUIP DOCTORS WITH RESOURCES FOR THESE PATIENTS - THE PRODUCE PRESCRIPTION (RX) PROGRAM. THE PRODUCE RX PROGRAM EQUIPS DOCTORS TO WRITE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR FRESH PRODUCE TO LOW-INCOME PATIENTS EXPERIENCING ONE OF THREE CHRONIC CONDITIONS: DIABETES, PREDIABETES OR HYPERTENSION. FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, PATIENTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDEEM THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS AT VARIOUS FARMERS MARKETS ACROSS THE CITY. THE PROGRAM HAS PROVEN TO INCREASE WELL-PATIENT VISITS BY 54% WHILE DECREASING THE BODY-MASS INDEX (MBI) OF 50% OF THE 120 ANNUAL PARTICIPANTS.IN MARCH 2019, WE LAUNCHED A NEW MODEL OF THE PRODUCE RX PROGRAM IN WHICH 500MEMBERS FROM DC'S LARGEST MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION, AMERIHEALTH CARITAS DC, AT3 PARTNER CLINICS CANVISIT THE GIANT FOOD GROCERY STORE PHARMACY IN WARD 8, REDEEM PRESCRIPTIONS FOR A $20 WEEKLY ALLOTMENT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE GROCERY STORE PRODUCE AISLE, AND MEET WITH A GIANT NUTRITIONISTTO DISCUSS THEIR SPECIFIC DIETARY NEEDS. WITH THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY BROUGHT BY PARTNERING WITH A FULL SERVICE RETAIL GROCER, THIS PROGRAM WILL GROW FROM SERVING 130 HOUSEHOLDS ANNUALLY TO 500 AND BECOME ONE OF THE FEW LARGE-SCALE VENTURES BRIDGINGHEALTH NEEDS WITH A GROCERY STORE IN THE UNITED STATES. WE ANTICIPATE THAT PARTICIPATION IN PRODUCE RX WILL BE SHOWN TO IMPROVE HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES RELATING TO BODY-MASS INDEX, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HBA1C (BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS) AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH PREDIABETES OR DIABETES, WHILE IT WILL DECREASE TOTAL HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES AND UTILIZATION COSTS AMONG PARTICIPATING MEDICAID PATIENTS. THESE CROSS-CUTTING FINDINGS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO COMPELLINGLY LINK THE ROLE OF FOOD IN SHAPING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OFHEALTH (SDOH) WITH THE BUSINESS CASE NEEDED TO EMBED A 'FOOD AS MEDICINE' APPROACH ACROSS OURHEALTHCARE SYSTEM. OUR PROGRAM REDEFINES FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD AS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF CLINICAL CARE, AND OFFERS A PROMISING SOLUTION FOR SUSTAINABLY IMPROVING PATIENT HEALTH AT A TIME WHEN MEDICAID PROVIDERS, CLINICS, AND HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ARE SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO LOWER RATES OF CHRONIC DISEASE AND MANAGE THEIR COSTS.WHAT MAKES THIS VENTURE UNIQUE, IS THE WELL-ROUNDEDNESS OF OUR TEAM, PARTICULARLY THE UNPRECEDENTED PRESENCE OF THE DISTRICT'S LARGEST MEDICAID PROVIDER, AMERIHEALTH CARITAS DC - PROVIDING US WITH CLAIMS DATA THAT WILL PROVIDE NEVER BEFORE KNOWN INSIGHTS INTO THE ROI OF AN INVESTMENT SUCH AS THIS ONE (E.G. DO WE SEE A DECREASE IN AMBULATORY AND/OR EMERGENCY ROOM UTILIZATION?). IN ADDITION, WE HAVE, SOCIALLY DETERMINED, A HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS COMPANY THAT DEVELOPED THE INDUSTRY'S FIRST PURPOSE-BUILT SDOHANALYTIC PLATFORM, WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING ANALYTICS ON THE PROVIDED CLAIMS DATA.