AHA podcast discusses how Children’s Health addresses hunger

In an American Hospital Association podcast, a representative from Children’s Health, Dallas, discusses how the system helps patients and their families access healthful food. In 2022, the hospital system started screening patients through its electronic health record to assess social needs. Patients indicating food insecurity meet with family resource coordinators, who connect them to community resources. The hospital’s screening data on 250,000 patients permits Children’s to determine zip codes most affected by hunger, enabling community organizations to better target their resources. Children’s has partnered with a local food bank to put food pantries in schools most affected by food insecurity. It also sponsors career days at those schools. A separate program connects families who are food insecure with meal support while their children receive care.