Photo by Elkins-Randolph County Tourism CVB .
Regional Focus
COMPILED BY ANNA MOORE
Highmark West Virginia Funds Food Program Pilot
Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health , of the Highmark Foundation , announced a $ 1.5 million grant to fund the Healthy Neighborhood pilot , an innovative and transformational food insecurity program with collaboration between Vandalia Health Network , Marshall Health , Mountain Health Network , InComm Healthcare and Dollar General .
According to Feeding America , over 217,000 West Virginia adults and children face food insecurity . This multi-sector partnership demonstrates how connecting individuals to social care and tackling barriers to health in West Virginia can improve communities ’ health and potentially reduce long-term costs of care for taxpayers , employers and families .
The initiative plans to address food insecurity and improve health outcomes for eligible West Virginia residents by providing prefunded , restricted-use InComm Health debit cards for exclusive use at Dollar General stores . Participants may only use the funds to purchase Dollar General ’ s Better for You food items , which are specially identified on store shelves and highlight healthier product options .
“ This program is a unique opportunity to help improve the health of our community by providing nearby access to healthier and more nutritious food to West Virginians , while also addressing the needs of some of the most rural communities facing food insecurity ,” says Jim Fawcett , president of Highmark West Virginia . “ The support of the organizations involved in this partnership is tremendous , and we applaud them for positively impacting the health of our communities .”
Vandalia Health Network , Marshall Health and Mountain Health Network are actively engaged in this pilot project and in their roles as health care providers . In this program , they identify patients who are food-insecure and have one or more chronic conditions and recommend this resource to patients who meet the program ’ s qualifications .
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE