Avera addresses food insecurity with clinic food pantries

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera Health.

People who experience food insecurity have increased access to food pickup thanks to a pilot project.

Avera is offering clinic-based food pantries for patients who experience food insecurity in Sioux Falls and Parkston.

Avera has supported Feeding South Dakota and its mobile food pantry, which visits 55 counties. Yet in some locations, food is delivered only once a month, and it’s the most expensive way to distribute food.

Providing access to food

“The Avera food pantry is a step in addressing food insecurity in our region, recognizing that access to food is a fundamental need,” said Dr. Ronald Place, regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

“By offering convenient access to nutritious food during clinic visits in a way that upholds dignity and respect for our guests, we are living out our mission of compassionate, holistic care.”

Place said food insecurity is a top issue identified in Avera’s Community Health Needs Assessment every three years.

Feeding South Dakota reports that 106,000 South Dakotans are food insecure, and 65 percent of those individuals do not qualify for federal food assistance programs. One in nine children and one in 12 adults in our state don’t have access to the food they need to thrive, said Lori Dykstra, CEO of the organization.

“The need continues to be great, especially with rising prices,” Dykstra said. The organization wants to find ways to reach people, and wellness pantries often are effective models.

How the clinic food pantries work

In Sioux Falls, pediatric and obstetric patients seen in Plaza 1 on the Avera McKennan campus are screened by care teams for food insecurity. If they’re found to need food, they have access to an emergency allocation, including things like shelf-stable produce, nonperishable items and dairy products that can sustain them until they can access an ongoing resource.

In Parkston, Avera St. Benedict Hospital also is piloting this concept. Patients at the clinic and hospital are screened for social determinants of health. If they have concerns with food insecurity, they are offered an emergency supply of food from the wellness pantry, based on their household size. They also receive a listing of local resources for food insecurity.

“The goal is to provide them with an immediate food source and then also help provide them additional resources to ensure more stability for them in the future,” said Lindsay Weber, president and CEO of Avera St. Benedict Health Center.

The project is in collaboration with Feeding South Dakota, Avera Research Institute and Avera’s Community Partnerships program. The food pantries are made possible by funding rom the federal Healthy Start grant to improve maternal and infant health.

The Healthy Start grant supported Avera’s expense for staffing and the space to distribute the food. Feeding South Dakota provides the food for the program. If the pilot proves successful, hopes are to further develop this resource through more clinic sites.

Learn more about what’s happening at Avera at Avera.org/Balance.