营养不仅在短期内对健康至关重要；从长远来看，它也有助于改善身心健康。 粮食不安全对身体、精神和情绪健康产生负面影响 and is associated with increased risk for chronic health conditions like 糖尿病、肥胖症、心脏病、精神健康障碍和其他疾病。 

硅谷 Second Harvest 深知食物就是药物，因此于 2009 年开始与医疗服务提供商建立合作伙伴关系，以解决营养与健康之间的重要联系。Second Harvest 服务总监 Kelly Chew 表示：“我们认识到，粮食不安全往往与不良的健康状况相伴而生。这种整体方法使我们能够更有效地解决饥饿和健康问题，最终创建一个更强大、更健康的社区。”

Second Harvest has developed partnerships with medical partners across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, including Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center – Hospital and Clinics, San Mateo Medical Center, Stanford Health Care and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. We help partners incorporate food insecurity screening into standard patient intake procedures and connect individuals to resources when they screen positive. This is filling an important need for healthcare providers.  

“当我们开始收集患者需求数据时，食物和与食物的联系是最常出现的内容之一，”加德纳健康服务中心的强化护理管理/社区支持项目主管玛丽安娜·贝塞拉 (Mariana Becerra) 解释道，该中心为圣克拉拉县和圣马特奥县的患者提供全面的医疗和心理保健。“我们开始研究将患者与食物联系起来的方法，并开始与 Second Harvest 合作。这真的很有帮助。” 

扩大营养食品的获取渠道 

这些食物银行和医疗保健合作伙伴关系减少了患者获取食物援助的障碍，并且：  

  • enable more patients to be connected to short- and long-term nutrition assistance programs like CalFresh and other programs; 
  • increase provider capacity to work food insecurity relief strategies into patient treatment plans; and 
  • ultimately, help prevent the onset of diet-related health conditions. 

“我们计划中最重要的事情之一是帮助患有糖尿病等慢性病的患者，并确保我们能够帮助他们降低 A1C，”贝塞拉说。“我们可以提供很多健康教育，但如果没有健康食品，那么我们能做的就很有限。这就是为什么我觉得食物是让人们保持健康最重要的因素。” 

加速患者获取营养食品 

我们采用四步流程来筛查、转诊并在适当的情况下为面临粮食不安全风险的患者快速提供营养食品和其他资源：   

Empowering our community through medical partnerships  

Our healthcare partnerships empower people in our community by making it easier for them to access support, speak openly about their needs and take steps toward better health. When trusted healthcare providers connect patients with nutritious food, they help ensure that families do not have to navigate food insecurity alone.

“This [access to food] is so critical,” shared one provider. “I often hear myself telling patients, ‘Take this with the largest meal of the day,’ and meanwhile they are thinking about their lack of food. It makes all the difference.”

For one patient, simply being asked about how food made it possible to receive support: “Thank you so much for asking me,” said a patient. “I didn’t know how or think to tell you I didn’t have enough. I am so grateful.”

帮助数千名当地患者 

Second Harvest’s medical partnerships have identified and helped thousands of patients who may be food insecure. In fiscal year 2021, providers referred 765 patients to Second Harvest, and, by fiscal year 2026, that number had grown to 3,079 patients.

“一开始我感觉很不舒服，但后来医生解释了为什么出于医学原因吃健康食品很重要，我才明白，”另一位患者说。“我不再感到不舒服了。” 

一位服务提供者分享道：“有人被筛查出患有抑郁症，但当我和他们交谈时，他们只是饿了。如果我没有学会询问食物，我就会把他们送到治疗师那里。” 

Expanding our reach to serve more neighbors needing food assistance 

Through our partnerships with healthcare providers, Second Harvest is able to connect with neighbors who may be facing challenges that affect their health and well-being — including the ability to consistently access nutritious food. These partnerships help us reach households with children, seniors and others who may benefit from additional support, while making it easier for patients to access resources through a trusted connection.

“这是一个非常有用的工具，可以轻松连接到 Second Harvest，”贝塞拉说。“能够提交转诊，然后帮助患者。这非常有帮助。”

“Our medical partnership program is enhancing community health by fostering collaboration between healthcare providers and community members,” said Chew. “Access to healthy food is a key part of our strategy, helping to prevent and manage chronic diseases. By improving access to nutritious food, we’re building a healthier, more resilient community.”