BOSTON HOSPITAL RUNS FOOD PANTRY FOR PATIENTS

Boston Medical Center’s Preventive Food Pantry, which makes access to nutritious food an integral part of a patient’s medical care, is the only program of its kind in the country. Deborah Frank, a pediatrician at BMC, started the program over 10 years ago in an outpatient program that helps struggling children reach healthy heights and weights. Today, the pantry operates hospital-wide and feeds more than 7,000 people each month. It is available to all patients who cannot afford to buy healthy food. Patients are referred to the pantry by their primary care physician as part of their medical care regimen. Each family can visit the pantry twice a month, with each visit providing three or four days worth of foods specially tailored to their medical needs food. 

Source:  Boston Magazine, 9/25/14, Hospital Food Pantry