MADISON HEIGHTS, Virginia. – As part of its ongoing work to combat food insecurity, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation announced a $400,000 grant to the Virginia Community Healthcare Association to launch its “Food as Medicine” program.

“Understanding the critical role of diet in health is essential for effective prevention and treatment of diet-related illnesses that lead to chronic disease,” said Tracy Douglas, executive director of the VCHA. “With the support of this generous grant, VCHA’s Food as Medicine program is designed to meet Virginia’s HCC patients where they are in their food choices, furthering our mission to improve the capacity of our health centers. health members to provide affordable, accessible and quality health care to patients with HCC. the communities they serve and expand our reach to residents who struggle to access high-quality health services.

“This grant represents our continued mission to promote overall health, adopting healthy lifestyles and addressing the social determinants of health and their impact on the lives of Virginians,” said Aaron Lambert, president of Anthem HealthKeepers in Virginia. “Making healthy food choices creates the strong foundation our members need to live meaningful and productive lives. »

The Anthem Foundation grant will support VCHA’s nutrition-based initiatives to assist more than 200 FQHC sites and community partners in their efforts to improve patient nutritional status and health outcomes.

Tuesday afternoon, the VCHA launched its program at the new Johnson Health Center facility in Madison Heights. The event included a check presentation and a cooking demonstration from the VCHA dietitian.