The pharmacy team at Advocate Christ Medical Center is making an extra effort to help patients live healthier lives.
"A group us volunteered at the hospital's Food Farmacy during National Pharmacy Week," explained Kathy Garczek, PharmD, who organized the event. "It was our second year volunteering, where we helped distribute food to patients. A few weeks prior, we sold taffy apples, held a gift basket raffle and launched a DIY fundraising page – all to raise funds for the program, which promotes health, wellbeing and mindfulness."
The Food Farmacy began in 2017 and provides patients with fresh, healthy food, along with nutritional education to help manage chronic conditions and improve overall wellbeing.
"Patients must have a chronic health condition and/or experience food insecurity. They are referred to the program through a social determinant of health screening," explained Khaila Franklin, Community Health Coordinator overseeing the Food Farmacy. "Once enrolled, we provide fresh produce and, for the past two years, have expanded our offerings to include proteins once a month. We also share recipes to encourage patients to explore new, healthy ways of preparing their meals."
At Advocate Christ, more than 350 patients pick up fresh food from the Food Farmacy twice a month. The Food Farmacy program also serves hundreds of patients at Advocate Trinity Hospital and Advocate South Suburban Hospital.
"Many patients rely on this program as their primary source of nutritious food," Khaila added. "For some, it even frees up resources to cover other essential needs for their families, such as prescription medications. In fact, many patients wait to receive their produce from the Food Farmacy before planning their grocery shopping. They want to see what items they'll get here first so they can stretch their budgets and only purchase what's truly needed. It's my pleasure to provide this support for Advocate patients through the Food Farmacy program. We understand that food is deeply personal, so we strive to be inclusive by ordering culturally sensitive foods that reflect the diverse traditions of our patients. Our goal is to ensure everyone feels valued and has access to nutritious options that fit their lifestyle."
The pharmacy team got to see the impact of the program firsthand.
"The patients we talked to were so thankful for this program. If the Food Farmacy didn't exist, they simply wouldn't have access to healthy food,” said Kathy. "It's such an important part of their lives that they do everything possible to come to the distribution each month. Many patients drove in their own vehicles, but others walked or even took the bus."
"We were thrilled to have the pharmacy team's support," said Khaila. "It's inspiring to see colleagues from other departments share the same enthusiasm for the Food Farmacy. Their involvement is essential as the number of patients in need continues to grow. We’re committed to ensuring that no one is left behind, and every patient receives the resources they deserve."
How can you help
The Food Farmacy at Advocate Christ Medical Center relies on philanthropy to provide fresh, healthy food to patients facing food insecurity. Please consider making a gift today.
You can also volunteer with the Food Farmacy. Teammates should create a profile page through the Teammate Impact Center. Go to "Browse Volunteer Opportunity" click on or search for "Food Farmacy" and register for a location. Non-teammates can contact khaila.franklin@aah.org for more information.