Funded Projects

South Main Clinic: Growing Health Together

Project Year

2024

City & State

Salt Lake City, Utah

Program Name

CATCH Resident

Topic

Nutrition

Program Description

Problem: It is known that social determinants of health impact health outcomes at the individual level. Food insecurity – the lack of reliable access to nutritious foods – increases an individual’s risk of having a poor diet, which increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. There is evidence that children in food-insecure households have worse health, less fruit and vegetable consumption, are more likely to have delays in seeking medical care, and are more likely to have chronic health conditions such as asthma or obesity(1-5). This highlights the importance of addressing food insecurity in the primary care setting. Food insecurity also disproportionately affects families and children who face other effects of poverty and structural racism, further contributing to health disparities (6-8). Studies show that when patients who experience food insecurity are provided with access to healthy food, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables, dietary quality improves; however, these options often rely upon a patient’s access to transportation (e.g. providing access to food pantries in the community) (9, 10).   Primary Setting: Our project will be implemented at South Main Clinic Pediatrics, a primary care clinic located in South Salt Lake, Utah affiliated with the University of Utah. Over 60% of patients identify as Hispanic/Latinx and more than half the patients are insured by Medicaid with approximately 10% uninsured.   Number of children affected:  South Main Clinic Pediatrics takes care of approximately 6000 children per year. Our goal is to distribute the needs assessment to 80% of families seen in the clinic over a 2 month period (approximately 760 patients). Based on the grant funding, we plan to provide produce shares for up to 45 families through a partnership with Wasatch Community Gardens.  Project Goal: We aim to 1) perform a needs assessment of patients and families at South Main Clinic to ascertain interest for produce distribution and/or community garden plots provided through Wasatch Community Gardens and 2) provide fresh produce as identified by needs assessment tool to families/patients at South Main Clinic.  Proposed intervention: We plan to develop a needs assessments that will ask about 1) food security status, using the Hunger Vital Sign validated screening tool, 2) barriers to food access, 3) interest in access to fresh produce and if interested, how families would want to receive fresh produce (i.e. CSA-like model, produce stand where people can choose fruits and vegetables, delivery on-site to clinic, pick up at a common location), 4) types of produce families are interested in, and 5) interest in access to shared plots for community gardening. We aim to distribute the needs assessment to 80% of patients seen in clinic at South Main Clinic over 2 months and then analyze the results starting September 2024. The results of the needs assessment will guide how fresh produce will be provided to families; therefore, we plan to collaborate closely with our community partner, Wasatch Community Gardens, to facilitate access. Based on the grant funding, our budget will allow for development and distribution of the needs assessment, analysis of data, and implementation of fresh produce distribution. If there is significant interest in community gardening, we will seek other funding for the following year to help facilitate access to this for families.   Anticipated outcomes: Given a previous pilot program providing fresh produce vouchers that was well-received by families at South Main Clinic, we anticipate that our needs assessment will confirm that families have interest in accessing fresh produce. We expect that, in partnering with Wasatch Community Gardens, we will be able to provide fresh produce to patients at South Main Clinic.

Project Goal

Perform needs assessment of patients and families at South Main Clinic to ascertain interest/need for produce distribution and/or community garden plots provided through Wasatch Community Gardens. Provide produce as identified by needs assessment tool to families/patients at South Main Clinic.

Project Objective 1

Create fresh produce and community garden plot needs assessment tool. Distribute needs assessment to 80% of patients at SMC. Complete this objective by September 1, 2024.

Project Objective 2

Analyze needs assessment data. Based on results, determine how produce may be distributed. Finish analysis by November 1, 2024.

Project Objective 3

Partner with Wasatch Community Gardens to provide patients and families of South Main Clinic with 1-week produce shares throughout the spring of 2025 (with the goal of providing produce shares to up to 45 families).

AAP District

District VIII

Institutional Name

University of Utah

Contact 1

Meera Nagarajan, MD

Contact 2

Maria Vigil-Mallette, MD