In an opinion-editorial in the Michigan Chronicle, Morgan Buchko, CCA Health Michigan’s VP of Market Partnership Strategy & Performance, discusses the impact of food insecurity on long-term health and well-being. According to Buchko, healthcare organizations are uniquely positioned help reduce food insecurity, because they can help to identify those in need and connect them with resources in their communities.
“At CCA Health Michigan, our clinical care team sees firsthand how a lack of food can play a direct role in a person’s overall health and well-being. Not long ago, one of our Care Partners and registered nurses followed up with a member and noticed that he frequently visited the emergency department. On paper, this member’s case was straightforward: He was in poor health, with several unmanaged chronic health conditions. As our Care Partner worked with him over time and earned his trust, she learned that the member went to the emergency department often because he knew he would get a full meal.”
Buchko also explained that this member had an intellectual disability and limited social and family support, and didn’t know how to sign up for the community resources he qualified for, such as Meals on Wheels. Our care partner promptly helped connect the member to this valuable service, and as a result, the member went to the emergency department less.