Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Launches Food Security Program
Patients struggling with food insecurity will have access to additional resources
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has launched a food security program to address the needs of its patients and the communities it serves. The Medical Center has partnered with the Bergen County Office of Food Security, Veolia, Inserra Supermarkets, and Instacart Health to provide a variety of resources that can be accessed.
“In Bergen County alone, one out of every nine residents do not have adequate access to nutritional food which is essential to optimal health outcomes,” said Deborah Visconi, President & CEO, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. “We are committed to identifying those who do not have enough food and connecting them with the resources to get what they need. No one should go hungry, and we are working with our partners to help make food security a reality for those we serve.”
The Bergen County Office of Food Security with the support of the Board of Commissioners and County Executive James Tedesco, are providing Bergen New Bridge with a $75,000 grant to establish a food security program that will connect patients with resources in or near the communities where they reside.
Some of the county funds will allow patients to access Fresh Funds through the Instacart Health partnership. Patients will have funds added to their accounts to enable the purchase of nutritious foods like fresh produce, lean proteins, and more. These purchases can be delivered directly to a patient’s home, which is essential for those who face transportation challenges.
Bergen County will also be training Medical Center staff on the Oasis platform, which is a free resource that allows social workers, case managers, and others to connect patients with food banks, meal services, and more right in their own communities. It provides essential data on the number of those being served and where better connections and greater access could potentially be made in the future.
The county grant will also allow for the purchase of iPads that can be used at discharge to connect patients through Oasis or to establish an Instacart account. Staff will be able to provide a tutorial on how to use the app to their best advantage to access the most optimal food selections for their health and recovery.
Veolia also provided the Medical Center with a $3,000 grant to establish a food pantry on its Paramus campus. The pantry will offer shelf stable items that will be given to patients in a reusable shopping bag. Inserra Supermarkets is providing discounted gift cards as well as discounted food items that will be available in the onsite pantry.
