Geisinger leaders author Harvard Business Review article on treating Type 2 diabetes with fresh, healthy food
DANVILLE, Pa. – A group of Geisinger leaders authored a new article published by the Harvard Business Review entitled “How Geisinger Treats Diabetes by Giving Away Free, Healthy Food.”
Andrea Feinberg, M.D., medical director of Geisinger’s Health and Wellness Program; Jonathan Slotkin, M.D., director of spinal surgery for Geisinger’s Neuroscience Institute and medical director of Geisinger in Motion; Allison Hess, associate vice president, Geisinger’s Health and Wellness Program; and Alistair Eskine, M.D., chief informatics officer, Geisinger; authored.
The article details how Geisinger is improving the health of adult patients with Type 2 diabetes through a new program called the Fresh Food Farmacy. Piloted at Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital in Coal Township, the program provides free healthy food to patients who are diabetic and food insecure. The Farmacy provides 10 meals per week to approximately 250 people, including 80 patients and their immediate family members. Providing food is just one component of the multidisciplinary program which also includes health consultations and counseling from a nurse health manager,, registered dietitian, pharmacist, health coach and community health assistant.
In just a year, the Fresh Food Farmacy has had clinical success in treating Type 2 diabetes superior to medication alone. In the patients enrolled in the program, HbA1c levels have dropped more than two points, in addition to improvements in cholesterol, blood sugars, triglycerides and weight. Patients are better adhering to their medications and in some cases, have reduced their reliance on costly medication to treat their condition.
“Taking a population health approach has been very helpful in this community endeavor,” said Dr. Andrea Feinberg, the clinical champion behind the Fresh Food Farmacy concept. “Using a medical home approach, the team has successfully integrated health care delivery while meeting the social needs of our patients. For patients with Type 2 diabetes and food insecurity, we have seen a significant impact and look forward to sharing our clinical results with the medical community.”
Next steps for the Fresh Food Farmacy include demonstrating its financial impact so payers and large healthcare purchasers will financially support it, along with seeking partnership from a national retailer to help scale the program.
“Fresh Food Farmacy can be scaled to a national level for those affected by food insecurity, to improve the health of patients with Type 2 diabetes, and reduce their health care costs,” said Dr. Feinberg.
To learn more about the Fresh Food Farmacy and its impact, visit www.freshfoodfarmacy.org.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
