Maryland will make $10 million available over the next two years to expand access to fresh fruits and vegetables for residents with chronic health conditions through the Produce Rx grant program, Gov. Wes Moore announced Tuesday.
Program Details
The initiative is a part of the Maryland Department of Health’s Food is Medicine model, which aims to improve health outcomes by connecting nutrition with medical care. State officials said the grants also are intended to address food insecurity and reduce childhood poverty by prioritizing investments in communities with high concentrations of childhood poverty.
When I ran for office, I committed to an unapologetic, unprecedented, and bipartisan attack on child poverty in Maryland,” Moore said in a statement. “The new Produce Rx grants will help improve health outcomes, address food insecurity, and reduce child poverty by putting the communities most affected by these issues at the forefront of the solutions.”
The program will provide grants to coalitions of at least two organizations serving these communities. Eligible coalitions can include health care providers, local health departments, and organizations with experience in food assistance and distribution. Lead applicants must be nonprofit organizations, local government agencies or educational institutions.
Under the program, health care providers will be able to prescribe fresh produce at no cost to eligible patients experiencing food insecurity or managing diet-related chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol or high-risk pregnancies. Assistance also may include home delivery of produce.
Goals and Application Process
Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani said in a statement that the initiative is designed to improve health while lowering health care costs by increasing access to nutritious food.
Collaborating with our health care providers, schools, farmers, and community- and faith-based organizations, we are focused on making sure our most in-need communities can access the necessary support and resources to manage their health and wellbeing,” Seshamani said.
Produce Rx is the second initiative funded through the state’s Population Health Improvement Fund, following the launch of a Medically Tailored Meals program in April.
State officials said grant proposals should emphasize cultural competency, participant choice and wraparound services such as nutrition education, cooking instruction and assistance accessing state benefits. Preference will be given to applicants that source produce from Maryland farmers.
The application process is open, with proposals due Aug. 17. Awards are expected to be announced early this fall.
Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.
