Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest

Food is medicine (FIM) initiatives are an emerging strategy for addressing nutrition-related health disparities increasingly endorsed by providers, payers, and policymakers. However, food insecurity screening protocols and oversight of medically-tailored food assistance programs are novel for many h...

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Main Authors: Marianna S. Wetherill, Kristina M. Bridges, Gabrielle E. Talavera, Susan P. Harvey, Brandon Skidmore, Elizabeth Stewart Burger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-03-01
Series:Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319241241465
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author Marianna S. Wetherill
Kristina M. Bridges
Gabrielle E. Talavera
Susan P. Harvey
Brandon Skidmore
Elizabeth Stewart Burger
author_facet Marianna S. Wetherill
Kristina M. Bridges
Gabrielle E. Talavera
Susan P. Harvey
Brandon Skidmore
Elizabeth Stewart Burger
author_sort Marianna S. Wetherill
collection DOAJ
description Food is medicine (FIM) initiatives are an emerging strategy for addressing nutrition-related health disparities increasingly endorsed by providers, payers, and policymakers. However, food insecurity screening protocols and oversight of medically-tailored food assistance programs are novel for many healthcare settings. Here, we describe the pre-implementation planning processes used to successfully engage federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) across Kansas to develop new FIM initiatives. A Kansas-based philanthropic foundation facilitated pre-implementation planning for FQHCs over 17 months across 3 stages: 1) Community inquiry, 2) FIM learning event with invitation for FQHC attendees to request pre-implementation funding, and 3) Pre-implementation planning workshops and application assignments for FQHC grantees to develop a FIM implementation grant proposal. We evaluated satisfaction and perceived utility of these pre-implementation planning activities via post-workshop surveys and qualitative comparisons of FIM design components from pre-implementation and implementation grant applications. All 7 FQHCs attending the learning event applied for and were awarded pre-implementation planning grants; 6 submitted an implementation grant application following workshop completion. FQHCs rated pre-implementation support activities favorably; however, most clinics cited limited staff as a barrier to effective planning. As compared to pre-implementation planning grant proposals, all FQHCs elected to narrow their priority population to people with pre-diabetes or diabetes with better articulation of evidence-based nutrition prescriptions and intervention models in their final program designs. In the midst of a nationwide FIM groundswell, we recommend that funders, clinic stakeholders, and evaluators work together to devise and financially support appropriate pre-implementation planning activities prior to launching new FIM initiatives.
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spelling doaj.art-d7e1a7f2bd4a4e6a9a79b162e08478ac2024-03-25T10:04:01ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272024-03-011510.1177/21501319241241465Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the MidwestMarianna S. Wetherill0Kristina M. Bridges1Gabrielle E. Talavera2Susan P. Harvey3Brandon Skidmore4Elizabeth Stewart Burger5University of Oklahoma Tulsa Schusterman Center, Tulsa, OK, USAUniversity of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USASunflower Foundation, Topeka, KS, USAUniversity of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USASunflower Foundation, Topeka, KS, USASunflower Foundation, Topeka, KS, USAFood is medicine (FIM) initiatives are an emerging strategy for addressing nutrition-related health disparities increasingly endorsed by providers, payers, and policymakers. However, food insecurity screening protocols and oversight of medically-tailored food assistance programs are novel for many healthcare settings. Here, we describe the pre-implementation planning processes used to successfully engage federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) across Kansas to develop new FIM initiatives. A Kansas-based philanthropic foundation facilitated pre-implementation planning for FQHCs over 17 months across 3 stages: 1) Community inquiry, 2) FIM learning event with invitation for FQHC attendees to request pre-implementation funding, and 3) Pre-implementation planning workshops and application assignments for FQHC grantees to develop a FIM implementation grant proposal. We evaluated satisfaction and perceived utility of these pre-implementation planning activities via post-workshop surveys and qualitative comparisons of FIM design components from pre-implementation and implementation grant applications. All 7 FQHCs attending the learning event applied for and were awarded pre-implementation planning grants; 6 submitted an implementation grant application following workshop completion. FQHCs rated pre-implementation support activities favorably; however, most clinics cited limited staff as a barrier to effective planning. As compared to pre-implementation planning grant proposals, all FQHCs elected to narrow their priority population to people with pre-diabetes or diabetes with better articulation of evidence-based nutrition prescriptions and intervention models in their final program designs. In the midst of a nationwide FIM groundswell, we recommend that funders, clinic stakeholders, and evaluators work together to devise and financially support appropriate pre-implementation planning activities prior to launching new FIM initiatives.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319241241465
spellingShingle Marianna S. Wetherill
Kristina M. Bridges
Gabrielle E. Talavera
Susan P. Harvey
Brandon Skidmore
Elizabeth Stewart Burger
Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
title Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
title_full Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
title_fullStr Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
title_full_unstemmed Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
title_short Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
title_sort planting seeds for food is medicine pre implementation planning methods and formative evaluation findings from a multi clinic initiative in the midwest
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319241241465
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