Donation will fund Franklin Health Food As Medicine program

FARMINGTON – Hannaford Supermarkets and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation has made a $350,000 donation to MaineHealth in support of its Food As Medicine program at Franklin Community Health Network.
The program prioritizes wholesome, fresh and nutritious foods as part of a comprehensive health care plan for under-resourced individuals and families with chronic health conditions.
The $350,000 donation to MaineHealth will support the introduction of the Food As Medicine program at FCHM, which includes Franklin Memorial Hospital. Facilitated by Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County, the one-year pilot program serves individuals with one or more chronic health conditions who have limited access to healthy food and have a MaineHealth primary care provider.
The MaineHealth Food Pantry at Franklin provides program participants with access to free, healthy food sourced primarily from Good Shepherd Food Bank. Participants also receive access to peer support, goal setting, healthy cooking classes, recipes, and menu planning with a health educator. Participants are referred to the program by healthcare providers. The program launched in June 2022.
“We’re thrilled with this partnership with Hannaford and members of our communities to use food as a tool to improve health, just as we do with medicine,” said Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement Officer at MaineHealth. “This partnership exemplifies our vision at MaineHealth of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.”
The funding will also support a healthy meal delivery program for Mainers recently discharged from the hospital with certain heart disease diagnoses, under the direction of Mylan Cohen, a physician in the network. The program, which delivers heart-healthy meals directly to an individual’s home, allows patients to focus on their recovery while providing nutrient-rich dishes tailored to their specific needs.
Hannaford’s “Eat Well, Be Well – A Path to Better Health” initiative recognizes the important role of healthy, fresh foods in a person’s overall well-being, company officials said. Studies have demonstrated that medically tailored nutrition intervention can accelerate treatment and recovery for patients with chronic health conditions, while lowering health care costs by reducing utilization and hospital admissions.
Data collected through the Hannaford-funded projects will be used to help establish sustainable funding streams for healthy meal programs within each partner organization.