Food as Health Referral Hub

The Food as Health Program at UK HealthCare connects patients to nutrition support programs that treat food as part of healthcare. The referral hub helps you identify needs, matches you with the right support and allows you to track your progress over time.

1. Screen and refer

During visits with UK HealthCare, providers screen you for food insecurity. Patients who may benefit are referred to the Food as Health Program.

2. Assess needs and preferences

After a referral, the Food as Health Program team completes a short screening to understand your situation, including dietary needs, location and personal preferences. This ensures your nutrition support plan fits real-life constraints.

3. Food as medicine

Once enrolled, the program team coordinates your participation in a food-as-medicine program. This includes ordering meals or grocery prescription health benefit cards, tracking deliveries and helping resolve any issues along the way.

4. Ongoing nutrition support

You will receive continued nutrition counseling from a registered dietitian, inlcuding bi-weekly telehealth calls. Participants also receive educational materials and text message reminders. The program team will also collect your feedback to help improve the experience and effectiveness of the program for everyone who participates.

5. Monitor progress and outcomes

The program team works with healthcare providers to securely capture relevant health information. This allows progress to be tracked over time and helps evaluate how nutrition support is affecting health outcomes.