On June 25th, 2018, the Ecology Center and the Detroit Food Policy Council, in partnership with Health Care Without Harm, hosted a networking event to connect hospital community benefit professionals and allies from within their institutions with community food system organizations. This interactive learning and networking event highlighted examples and opportunities for healthcare and food systems partnerships and engage participants in strategizing to bring these ideas into their work.
The event featured regional examples of ways the healthcare-community collaborations can:
Improve healthy food access
Reduce food insecurity
Develop diet-related disease prevention and intervention strategies
Boost the economy through local and sustainable food procurement
We also introduced a new suite of resources from Health Care Without Harm. Delivering community benefit: Healthy food playbook supports hospital community benefit professionals and community partners as they collaborate to address diet-related community health needs throughout the community health engagement process -- from community health needs assessments to developing implementation strategies, and evaluating, reporting, and communicating results.
Inspired by a growing commitment among healthcare institutions to respond to community health needs, Health Care Without Harm’s Healthy Food in Health Care program conducted a national research project to support hospital community benefit professionals and community partners in developing initiatives that promote healthy food access and healthier food environments. The project was supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Delivering community benefit: Healthy food playbook is a new suite of resources supporting hospital community benefit professionals and community partners to address diet-related community health needs throughout the community health engagement process. The playbook includes guidance on a variety of topics, including how to engage hospital leadership as healthy food advocates, partner with food banks and pantries, and evaluate healthy food access interventions.
Ecology Center: The Ecology Center's Sustainable Food, Healthy Communities program collaborates to revive regional food systems as part of resilient communities. We seek to ensure safe, healthy food is accessible to everyone through a redesigned food system that is regional, sustainable and affordable.
Detroit Food Policy Council: DFPC is committed to nurturing the development and maintenance of a sustainable, localized food system and a food-secure City of Detroit in which all of its residents are hunger-free, healthy, and benefit economically from the food system that impacts their lives.
Health Care Without Harm: Health Care Without Harm’s national Healthy Food in Health Care program harnesses the purchasing power and expertise of the health care sector to advance the development of a sustainable food system. Health Care Without Harm seeks to transform the health sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it becomes ecologically sustainable and a leading advocate for environmental health and justice.
HCWH Healthy Food Playbook Presentation
Detroit Food Metrics Report and Food Policy
Investing in Solutions: Supporting Women in Agriculture and the Regional Food System
Hospitals Growing the Market for Local Food
Healthy Food for Young Eaters: Opportunities in the Child Nutrition Programs
Health Innovations: Collaborating for Health and Food Security
Fresh Prescription Network: Recipe for a Healthy Detroit
