Press Release: San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium Co-Founds Food For Health Collective, Brings Relief to Food Insecure San Franciscans

Staff prepare food for distribution at Mission Neighborhood Health Center

Thanks to a generous investment from the Hellman Foundation, the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC), as part of the Food for Health Collective San Francisco (FHCSF), is bringing nutrition support into the doctor’s office this holiday season.

SFCCC is proud to be a founding member of FHCSF, the Hellman-funded partnership of six organizations working to improve nutrition equity for vulnerable communities in San Francisco. Other members of the Collective include EatSF’s Vouchers 4 Veggies program, Food As Medicine Collaborative, UCSF Food Equity and Justice Program, Project Open Hand, and the Food and Agriculture Program at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR).

As part of this initiative, SFCCC will provide guidance and technical support to 3 of their 12 member clinics: Curry Senior Center, HealthRIGHT 360, and Mission Neighborhood Health Center, to expand their existing food pharmacy programs. The support of the Hellman Foundation and subject matter expertise of other Collective members will enable the clinics to increase their support of patients experiencing food insecurity, and chronic health conditions, with a focus on high blood pressure. Expanded offerings include services like medically tailored meals and vouchers for fresh produce, which can be “prescribed” during routine medical visits.

Community health centers, like SFCCC’s members, operate from the belief that social determinants of health, such as racial inequity, socio-economic status, and access to nutritious food, must be addressed as part of effective primary care. “Thanks to the support of the Hellman Foundation and our partners in the Food for Health Collective, SFCCC and our member clinics have unprecedented support to expand the impact of the city’s largest primary care safety net delivery system” says SFCCC CEO Johanna Liu, “We hope this initiative will set the bar for food-based interventions in community health centers.”

The Collective’s work will be evaluated and clinics will adapt their programs as needed to best meet their patients’ needs. In addition to evaluating patient health improvements and patient satisfaction, the clinics will track staff confidence and satisfaction. Anecdotally, clinic staff share that food support is a morale booster for all, “Everyone is happier on Thursdays” shares one employee, referencing food delivery day. Participants from SFCCC’s Americorps and Community Health Worker programs will provide additional support for screening, education and distribution in the clinics.

The Hellman Foundation has generously committed to funding the program for five years. SFCCC is hopeful that going forward, the state of California will make food a permanently funded benefit in Medi-Cal, ensuring the future of programs like this one.