Collaboration is Key: Addressing Hunger as a Health Issue

The link between hunger, food insecurity and poor health has been clearly acknowledged as a serious health threat, yet it remains largely preventable. At the core, addressing hunger—and other social determinants—goes to the foundation of many health issues that follow individuals through life. To eradicate hunger we must form strong community partnerships and work together if we hope to have a real and lasting impact on those we serve. In this webinar, representatives from the Food and Nutrition Service and The Root Cause Coalition addressed the need for collaborative approaches to hunger in communities across the country, programs available to those most in need and operational solutions being implemented in the clinical setting—from screening for food insecurity to food pharmacies—to address the most basic nutritional needs of patients.

Presenters:

• Barbara Petee, chief government relations and communication officer, ProMedica Health System
• Jason Gromley, director of operations, The Root Cause Coalition
• Gary Vessels, program analyst, office of the chief communications officer, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA