Elevance Health partners with US community health centers to integrate Food as Medicine with primary care

US health insurance provider Elevance Health and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) have partnered to integrate Food as Medicine programming with primary care at Community Health Centers.

The organizations say their initiative is rooted in a shared commitment to holistic health and community-driven innovation. It aims to address food insecurity and diet-related chronic conditions by embedding nutritional care within routine primary care visits. 

“Together with NACHC, we’re making nutrition integral to the way care is delivered — and not just an add-on,” says Shantanu Agrawal, MD, Chief Health Officer of Elevance Health. 

“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.”

This partnership aims to enhance care coordination and reduce administrative burdens for care teams, improving patient engagement and supporting chronic disease management. The program seeks to enhance participation in essential services across community health centers by reinforcing preventive health efforts and boosting quality metrics.

The goal is to connect Medicaid members at risk of diet-related health issues with personalized nutrition and support, including medically tailored interventions, coaching, and referrals.

Integrating Food as Medicine

The program integrates Food as Medicine into care through a comprehensive, evidence-based model focusing on three main pillars: food access and security, clinical integration, and lifestyle interventions. 

The initiative uses telehealth and community health center-based referral networks to remove barriers to patient access, embeds nutrition protocols and referrals into primary care workflows, and offers culturally relevant, dietitian-led services that address both medical and social needs.

“By integrating Food as Medicine into primary care, we’re better positioned to reduce food and nutrition insecurity and deliver chronic disease prevention and management to the nearly 34 million patients — one in ten Americans — who rely on health centers for care,” comments Kyu Rhee, MD, president and CEO of NACHC.

“For 60 years, community health centers have been innovating in delivering comprehensive primary care, including but not limited to nutrition services, community gardens, and community kitchens. Our collaboration with Elevance Health allows us to assess, identify, and scale evidence-based nutrition-based care models to the communities that need them most.”

Nutrition Center of Excellence

With the partnership, Elevance Health aims to expand its existing regional Nourished Well program, which currently serves Medicaid beneficiaries, by training primary care teams at community health centers on the proven benefits of Food as Medicine. 

The initiative’s long-term vision includes creating a Nutrition Center of Excellence. This national model, co-designed by Elevance Health, NACHC, and community health centers, will be a scalable blueprint to promote food-based clinical care nationwide.

The Elevance Health Foundation, the insurance company’s philanthropic arm, also supports the collaboration. The foundation will provide NACHC with a six-month Food as Medicine grant.

The grant aims to help NACHC assess existing regional Food as Medicine programs at community health centers, evaluate policies supporting Food as Medicine sustainability, and develop a scalable Food as Medicine model that combines community resources, clinical interventions, and nutritious food delivery.