Expanding Efforts: Recent Developments at Massey's Food Resource Center

Food is Medicine Bulletin_Vol1_Issue3.pdf

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At Massey, we recognize that food insecurity significantly impacts the overall health of cancer patients. Our commitment to tackling this issue drives us to enhance our initiatives continually. The Massey Food Resource Center plays a crucial role in meeting the nutritional needs of patients undergoing treatment.

We've recently celebrated a significant achievement—successfully completing the Feed More site visit inspection. This approval allows us to start shipping food boxes, a vital step in our mission to provide nutritious meals to those in need.

To accommodate this new capacity, we've added two industrial cabinets to expand our storage space for food supplies. Thus far, our center has received over 800 pounds of food from Feed More. This increase helps ensure that we can quickly distribute essential resources to our established patients, making a positive impact on their health and well-being during treatment.

In a groundbreaking move, we are integrating two validated Hunger Vital Sign screening questions into EPIC, our electronic health record system, starting Monday, December 9th. By incorporating these questions, our clinic teams can effectively screen patients for food insecurity. This proactive approach enables us to identify individuals who may need extra support.

To support these growing initiatives, we are excited to announce the addition of Eliot Turnoff as our new Patient and Family Support Coordinator. Eliot's role will be crucial in coordinating the distribution of Feed More food boxes within the Integrative Health space.

Addressing food insecurity is not just about providing food; it reflects our mission to support the health and dignity of all Massey patients. Our recent updates go beyond merely delivering meals—they signify our unwavering commitment to giving hope to those navigating the challenges of cancer treatment.