In a landmark initiative aimed at redefining how healthcare addresses nutrition and chronic disease, Elevance Health and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) have joined forces to embed Food as Medicine (FAM) strategies directly into the fabric of primary care. This collaboration, built on a shared commitment to whole-person health and innovative, community-based care, marks a critical step forward in combating food insecurity and diet-related chronic conditions through integrated clinical solutions.
A Holistic Approach to Whole Health
The initiative builds upon Elevance Health’s existing Nourished Well program, a regional effort designed to support Medicaid beneficiaries through nutrition-focused care. The new partnership expands that program’s reach by training clinical care teams at Community Health Centers (CHCs)—the backbone of healthcare for underserved populations—to identify, support, and treat patients at risk of diet-related health issues.
Under this expanded model, CHC providers will be equipped to screen for food and nutrition insecurity, deliver personalized dietary guidance, and refer patients to relevant services—all as part of the routine clinical workflow. These interventions are not positioned as optional extras but as central components of primary care delivery, reflecting a fundamental shift in how nutrition is treated within the healthcare system.
“Incorporating Food as Medicine directly into primary care enables us to treat nutrition not just as a social driver of health, but as a clinical lever for improving outcomes,” said Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, Chief Health Officer at Elevance Health. “Together with NACHC, we’re making nutrition integral to the way care is delivered — and not just an add-on.”
The Framework: Integrating Evidence-Based Nutrition Interventions
The collaboration between Elevance Health and NACHC supports a comprehensive Food as Medicine Ecosystem Framework, which is organized around three primary pillars:
- Food Access and Security
CHCs will utilize telehealth platforms and established referral networks to overcome barriers to food access, particularly for Medicaid members facing chronic health conditions influenced by diet. This model ensures that patients can more easily access nutritious food, often a missing component in long-term health planning. - Clinical Integration
Nutrition protocols will be embedded within clinical workflows, transforming the way primary care teams approach diet-related health risks. Providers will be trained to conduct nutrition assessments, offer evidence-based dietary advice, and refer patients to dietitians or food programs just as they would with other clinical specialists. - Lifestyle Interventions
CHCs will deliver culturally competent, dietitian-led services designed to address both the medical and social aspects of nutrition. These services include education, counseling, and coaching tailored to patients’ cultural backgrounds, food preferences, and socioeconomic circumstances.
“For 60 years, CHCs have been innovating in delivering comprehensive primary care, including but not limited to nutrition services, community gardens, and community kitchens,” said Dr. Kyu Rhee, President and CEO of NACHC. “Our collaboration with Elevance Health is an opportunity to assess, identify, and scale evidence-based, nutrition-focused care models to the communities that need them most.”
With nearly 34 million Americans—roughly one in ten—relying on CHCs for care, this model has the potential to transform how a significant portion of the U.S. population accesses nutrition and chronic disease prevention services.
Philanthropic Support and Strategic Investment
In addition to the operational integration, the Elevance Health Foundation—the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health—will provide a six-month Food as Medicine grant to support this transition. This grant will enable NACHC to:
- Conduct assessments of existing regional Food as Medicine programs across CHCs
- Evaluate policies that can support the long-term sustainability of FAM models
- Develop and test scalable models for integrating community food resources, clinical nutrition services, and healthy food delivery systems into the CHC care continuum
This strategic investment will not only accelerate implementation but also create a data-driven foundation for long-term impact and scalability.
Enhancing Care and Reducing Administrative Burden
By weaving nutrition-focused interventions into routine care, the program offers a dual benefit: improving patient outcomes while streamlining processes for healthcare providers. CHC teams often face significant time and resource constraints, and this integration is designed to reduce administrative burdens through streamlined workflows, easy-to-use referral tools, and centralized support systems.
This approach helps:
- Improve patient engagement by addressing immediate and relevant health needs
- Enhance management of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity
- Promote preventive care, reducing the need for more intensive and costly interventions later
- Boost CHC quality metrics by tying outcomes directly to measurable improvements in food security and health status
A Vision for the Future: Nutrition Center of Excellence
Looking ahead, Elevance Health and NACHC plan to co-create a Nutrition Center of Excellence in partnership with CHCs. This national center would serve as a model for implementing food-based clinical care across the country. It will focus on developing best practices, training resources, and replicable models that can be tailored to diverse communities and healthcare environments.
This long-term vision reflects the belief that food is not just sustenance but a powerful tool for preventing disease, managing existing conditions, and fostering healthier communities.
“By integrating Food as Medicine into primary care,” said Dr. Rhee, “we’re better positioned to reduce food and nutrition insecurity and deliver chronic disease prevention and management to the nearly 34 million patients who rely on health centers for care.”
