Baptist Health’s Food Rx Initiative Helping to Combat State’s Food Insecurity and Subsequent Health Outcomes for Patients

According to the findings from a U.S Department of Agriculture report in September, Arkansas was once again named the hungriest state in the country with 19 percent of households experiencing low or very low food security at some point during 2023.

Arkansas was one of seven states where “very low” food insecurity levels –– defined as reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns because of limited money and other resources – were higher than the national average.

Baptist Health’s Community Outreach team has been working to address food insecurity in Arkansas communities for many years, and the largest component of that initiative has been the Food Rx program that first got off the ground in a pilot stage during the early days of the pandemic.

In 2024, Community Outreach put a renewed emphasis on the Food Rx program with support from the Case Coordination and Pastoral Care departments in an effort to reach even more people through hospital campuses, AHG clinics, Baptist Health PACE, and its network of community wellness centers.

As of September, Baptist Health Community Outreach had served more than 4,000 people and distributed more than 70,000 pounds of food.

One reason the Food Rx program is so vital to Baptist Health’s mission is because food insecurity has been identified as a determinant of poorer health outcomes, an increase in chronic conditions, and added health care costs.

While food insecurity is typically associated with lower income, it can affect households with a range of economic backgrounds due to other factors such as older age, disability, and other social conditions.

On any given day, there is a significant number of patients in Baptist Health hospitals and clinics who are in need of food and will return to a problem of food insecurity when they are discharged to their home.

Many of these patients leave Baptist Health armed with instructions and medication as part of their recovery –– but at the same time are not sure where their next meal will come from.

As of September 2024, Baptist Health Community Outreach had served more than 4,000 people and distributed more than 70,000 pounds of food.