Thompson to Offer Immediate Help to Patients Experiencing Food Insecurity

Within some areas of the Finger Lakes region, nearly one in four people experience food insecurity according to Common Ground Health, a health research and planning organization serving nine area counties.

Thompson’s patients are not exempt, as has become increasingly evident to our healthcare providers and social workers in recent years. Now, these associates are working with Nutrition Services and others within the hospital to ensure patients being discharged aren’t returning home to bare cupboards.

The hospital is getting ready to launch an emergency food pantry thanks to a multidisciplinary “Do It Group,” or DIG, receiving support from the health system’s Associate Quality Council.

Medical Social Worker Keli Frick said the DIG was created because Thompson began to see an increase in food insecurity while conducting the pre-discharge screening process designed to determine social factors that may be associated with patients’ hospitalizations.

“With the rising cost of food and limited food pantries available in the area, it seemed like the perfect time to offer such a service right here in the hospital to those in need,” she said. 

In the past, these patients have been offered a list of food pantries, but Keli said accessing the pantries can be difficult after just leaving the hospital. Transportation can be a factor, and many pantries have limited hours.

Now, in addition to receiving the list of pantries, these patients will return home with  at least two bags of shelf-stable food to last up to three days. They will also receive simple recipe ideas so they can combine some of the items to make meals.

“I am excited to be able to offer immediate assistance to patients who struggle with food insecurity,” Keli said.

The initiative offers a similar approach to food pantries launched in 2021 at UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital. Like those pantries, Thompson’s pantry will be supported by a partnership with Foodlink, a Rochester-based nonprofit that fights hunger in a 10-county area.

In addition, the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Health Equity Program Support Office – which will assist with data collection to measure usage of Thompson’s food pantry – secured startup funding from the Rural Health Network to purchase items not generally available through Foodlink.

Thompson may hold collection drives to accept donations of items for the food pantry as well. Stay tuned for details.