Deisy Monterrosa, Panel Management Assistant (left), and Alex Lopez, Clinic manager of San Antonio Neighborhood Health Center
Fighting Food Insecurity
with Medically Tailored Meals
Since joining La Clínica in 2015, clinic manager Alex Lopez has seen firsthand how food insecurity worsens chronic diseases. Now, his team is tackling the issue head-on through innovative partnerships with Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) and Bento — the latter funded by Kaiser Permanente — which blend nutrition with healthcare.
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Those in need can access La Clínica’s on-site pantry—stocked with produce and dry goods—weekly. But for patients with diabetes, hypertension, or other diet-sensitive conditions, the clinic offers a deeper intervention: medically tailored groceries.
From Screening to Solutions
At La Clínica, every patient who comes through the door is screened for food insecurity using the Hunger Vital Sign tool. Those in need can access La Clínica’s on-site pantry—stocked with produce and dry goods—weekly. But for patients with diabetes, hypertension, or other diet-sensitive conditions, the clinic offers a deeper intervention: medically tailored groceries.
In January of 2024, ACCFB became the first food bank in California to bill healthcare for medically supportive food through California’s CalAIM Initiative. This is an important step in acknowledging the role of food and nutrition in overall health. In partnership with Alameda Alliance for Health, the primary Medi-Cal insurance plan in the county, eligible Alameda Alliance members receive 12 weeks of home-delivered, condition-specific food and nutrition counseling. Meanwhile, Bento, a grant-funded program being piloted at La Clínica’s San Antonio site, provides dietitian-tailored grocery orders and education to help patients with diabetes or hypertension meet their nutritional, dietary, and situational needs while building healthier, long-term cooking skills.
solutions
While ACCFB serves the entire County, our partnership with Bento, funded by Kaiser Permanente, offers a hyper-local approach that shows how medically tailored nutrition can empower patients. The team tracks biomarkers like blood pressure at 3- and 6-month intervals to measure the program’s impact, and so far, it’s getting great results on these metrics.
Gaining Momentum and Scale
La Clínica has long recognized the crucial role of nutrition in managing and preventing chronic diseases, as a way to improve population health and reduce healthcare costs. The program goes beyond filling grocery bags and offers access to life-changing education. Nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations teach recipients how to prepare healthy meals. These educational efforts are designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to make lasting dietary changes. Programs like these are powerful vehicles not just to fight hunger but also to fight chronic disease.
As the Food as Medicine movement gains momentum, scaling the program to meet demand remains a challenge. “Food is preventive medicine,” says Alex, but success hinges on dedicated staff time, and this is a challenge for programs relying on temporary grants. La Clínica hopes to expand these efforts, proving that addressing hunger isn’t just charitable—it’s cost-effective and a clinical necessity.
We’re not just filling stomachs, we’re changing health trajectories.
—Alex Lopez, Clinic Manager
