Vermont Food Access in Health Care (FAHC) Consortium

Description

The Vermont Food Access in Health Care (FAHC) Consortium was a partnership of the Bi-State Primary Care Association and three Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): Lamoille Health Partners (LHP), Little Rivers Health Care (LRHC), and Northern Tier Center for Health (NOTCH). Each FQHC implemented a food program: Medically Tailored Meals, Food Farmacy, and the Social Grocery Store initiative. A webinar that highlights each of these programs in more depth can be found on the Food Access in Health Care website.

The Bi-State Primary Care Association received a 2021-2025 HRSA Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative outreach grant, which was extended for another year.

Services offered

Medically Tailored Meals Program

The Medically Tailored Meals Program prepared and distributed healthy meals to LHP patients diagnosed or considered at risk for heart disease. It partnered with University of Vermont Extension, Meals on Wheels, and other food delivery services to reach patients in rural Lamoille County. LHP created a newsletter with heart-healthy recipes and other information to be delivered with the food.

LHP also partnered with a nonprofit to deliver surplus vegetables from local farms through Meals on Wheels or have this produce available for pick-up. Drop-offs occurred every other week during the summer and fall and once a month during the winter. LHP also stored food in a freezer, available to patients as needed, in the waiting room of its Morrisville clinic.

Registered dietitians on the LHP Community Health Team provided support and cooking equipment to patients who needed it.

The LHP program ended in the spring of 2025.

Food Farmacy

LRHC patients who screen positive for food insecurity and a chronic health condition are referred to the Food Farmacy. LRHC distributes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares from a food gleaning farm and served 91 patients in 2025.

LRHC also partners with Vermont Foodbank to create shelf-stable food boxes for patients with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension, and LRHC has meal delivery for pregnant and postpartum patients (up to four months after birth).

Social Grocery Store and Produce Prescription Program

NOTCH's nonprofit social grocery store, Main Street Market, in rural Richford, Vermont, offers free samples of healthy food, healthy recipe cards, cooking instructions, and coupons for healthy foods.

NOTCH's Produce Prescription Program collaborated with Healthy Roots Collaborative, supporting 50 patients in 2025 with increased access to healthy food. As a recipient of the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, NOTCH installed a new point-of-sale system at Main Street Market, which became fully operational by mid-January 2026. The system allows participants to use vouchers from the program (in the form of program cards) to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. NOTCH also provides nutrition education programming.

Results

LHP: As of July 2024, LHP included 70 participants in its food program and distributed 5,395 meals.

LRHC: As of March 2026, LRHC included 91 participants in its food program and distributed 34,881 pounds of fresh produce to participants. LRHC also set up 4 mini-pantries with shelf-stable food items in each of its centers, which are available to all patients. LRHC received additional funding to secure a cooler and bags to safely store food.

NOTCH: As of March 2026, NOTCH included 50 participants in its food access programs and offered 50 unique health education opportunities to eligible participants.

The three health centers made a statistically significant positive impact in food program participants' blood pressure and cholesterol.

The Vermont Food Access in Health Care (FAHC) Network is listed in RHIhub's Rural Health Literacy Toolkit's Program Clearinghouse.

Challenges

The biggest challenge for the health centers is sustainability. LHP was unable to sustain its program due to staffing and funding uncertainty. LRHC and NOTCH have funding to sustain their programs for the near future, but each program is reliant on grants.

Replication

The Vermont FAHC Consortium meets quarterly to discuss successes, challenges, and technical assistance needs. Each program's success has been a result of building strong partnerships with local farmers and recruiting volunteers who help support the day-to-day operations. Tracking outcomes helps demonstrate the program's impact and secure continued funding and community support.

Contact Information