The MHA Health Access & Community Impact Council convened virtually on March 5 to discuss strategies to improve health outcomes through stronger integration of social and clinical care. In recognition of National Nutrition Month, members also explored how Food as Medicine initiatives are being implemented across Michigan health systems.
Nutrition plays an essential role in improving health and preventing chronic disease, yet many communities continue to face barriers to accessing healthy food. Council members discussed how hospitals and community partners are working to address nutrition insecurity and expand Food as Medicine programs.
The meeting opened with organizational storyboards highlighting how health systems are working to improve health outcomes, expand access and strengthen community partnerships. Members shared examples of strategies integrating social care into clinical practice, including embedding social needs data into dashboards, expanding community-informed approaches and using geographic insights to better understand barriers such as transportation, behavioral health access and financial strain.
Hospitals are also piloting innovative models, including food support programs and virtual care, to better serve rural and underserved communities.
The discussion also included insights from a cross‑sector community development initiative, highlighting how coordinated work across healthcare, economic opportunity and community design can improve conditions in under-resourced communities. Members emphasized that strong internal leadership alignment is essential to sustain community-focused progress.
The council received a legislative update, highlighting potential coverage disruptions, Medicaid redetermination challenges, physician licensure risks and evolving hospital finance pressures. Council members were encouraged to use the MHA Action Center to engage lawmakers in protecting healthcare funding.
During the meeting, Lucy Ciaramitaro, director, communications, MHA, shared more about the Hospitals Help statewide storytelling campaign that elevates high-impact hospital stories to support public awareness and trust.
Dawn Opel, JD, PhD, chief innovation officer and general counsel, Food Bank Council of Michigan, delivered an in‑depth overview of Michigan’s Food as Medicine landscape, including the Medicaid In Lieu of Services benefit. While Michigan is a national leader in this space, program uptake remains low due to clinical integration barriers, unclear workflows, inconsistent referral pathways and limited data sharing between health and food systems. Food insecurity in Michigan continues to increase, placing additional pressure on hospitals and community partners and underscoring the need for aligned strategies.
The meeting concluded with a discussion of council subgroups developing guidebooks and recommendations for scalable community health strategies related to quality improvement, patient experience, community partnerships and clinical social care integration.
Members are encouraged to map current Food as Medicine partnerships to identify gaps in referrals, data sharing or workflows. Hospitals may also engage patients and staff to assess social-needs screening workflows, focusing on timing, roles and follow-up capacity.
The council also highlighted several resources for hospitals, including the 2025 Michigan Food as Medicine Summit materials and the Aspen Institute Food is Medicine Research Action Plan.
Members with questions about the council’s work should contact Ewa Panetta at the MHA.