Screen and Intervene to Address Food Insecurity

The Screen and Intervene: Connecting Food Insecure Patients to Resources pilot program aims to assist Central Florida residents that are experiencing food insecurity. The pilot program, supported by the Florida Blue Foundation, will work with family medicine, internal medicine, pediatric, and obstetrics/gynecology outpatient medical practices to provide health care providers training on conducting food insecurity screenings and to connect individuals and families with children experiencing food insecurity with resources.

In partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and the Alliance for Community Health, the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) will develop and disseminate provider education and technical assistance in food insecurity screening implementation, aid in selecting outpatient practice locations in need of education on food insecurity screenings, assist with implementing screening processes into medical practices, and oversee the data collection process.

In partnership with the University of Central Florida (UCF), GHPC will survey and interview patients on their perceptions of the referral process, including their comfort with the process, with their health care provider, and with the community health worker. UCF and GHPC will also survey and interview providers on their comfort with screening for social determinants of health and their comfort communicating with patients about these topics in-person and via telemedicine. This data will inform a program evaluation to assess the efficiency and success of the pilot and to provide timely recommendations on program improvements.