Policy and advocacy are in my bones. For over 25 years, I have worked to move policy on local, state and national levels. When I joined God’s Love We Deliver 18 years ago, this drive continued, and then gained steam by working in partnership with my colleagues across the country. Today, we are seeing the fruits of all the hard work we have done together.
Just think about the sea of change we have witnessed. As members of the Food Is Medicine Coalition, we were leaders in the founding and evolution of the Food Is Medicine movement. We coined the terms “Medically Tailored Meals” (MTM) and “Medically Tailored Groceries” (MTG). Now, policy makers in states and in D.C. are embracing Food Is Medicine, working to craft ways to include MTM and MTG in Medicaid waivers, Medicare, VA programs and other healthcare vehicles. Every day, articles are being published, many by FIMC agencies or about FIMC programs, documenting through research and practice the efficacy of the interventions we have been delivering for almost 40 years.
It’s an exciting, maybe even thrilling time, when you look at the marathon that is advocacy and policy change. As the Chair of FIMC since its inception more than a decade ago, it has been a delight to work with all of you to push our movement forward. As I step down from this role at FIMC and my work at God’s Love, I urge you to keep going, even to increase the pressure as the time is now to ensure that MTM and MTG are fully integrated into all healthcare insurance for equity of access. We are close, and, thus, this is the most critical time for pushing hard.
Key to our success, not to mention the research findings being published, is the FIMC Accreditation standard that defines a quality MTM program. With the standard, we have laid the groundwork for a national conversation in hopes of shaping public policy to align with the standard for the MTM intervention. And, using the standard as a guide, we are scaling this model by teaching it to other programs through the FIMC Accelerator. These are remarkable achievements. Please carry them proudly.
For all my optimism about what we have accomplished thus far, there may be difficult times ahead. While worrisome, this is a reality of changing policy, federally and in our states. Getting new legislation or regulation passed is rarely a straight line forward. Progress is measured in steps forward. We also need to remember that Food is Medicine, and MTM, in particular, is a bipartisan issue. Policy makers, healthcare providers, health plans and people living with illness are looking for ways to achieve better health outcomes and lower the cost of care. We have an evidence-based solution that works! We see it every day in the lives of those who count on our services and in the research that has been done to date. Please do not let headwinds slow you down – we can win even in turbulent times as our issue resonates with a growing number of stakeholders who have the power to make MTM and MTG integrated as a reimbursable service in our many healthcare systems.
I could not have asked for better colleagues on this journey. My partner throughout this journey has been Alissa Wassung, now the Executive Director of FIMC. If you want something done with great thought, wisdom, insight and finesse, Alissa is the right person. She has nurtured FIMC longer than it has been a coalition. Her staff are dedicated, experienced, and thoughtful, and we are all grateful for their support.
The CEOs of FIMC organizations have also been my collaborators from the day I started at God’s Love, and I am beyond thankful for all their friendship, teamwork and knowledge-sharing. They and their staff are some of the smartest, most committed, entrepreneurial and truly strategic thinkers I have ever worked with. They are courageous in taking on challenges from HIV to COVID to natural disasters.
FIMC MTM and MTG programs meet the needs of those who are often forgotten, alone and isolated. Together we have fought tirelessly for equitable access to services, for high quality meals and food despite rising costs, for recognition of the power of nutrition to heal and comfort, while bringing dignity and respect to clients without fail.
This is a legacy that is unstoppable. It’s been an honor to Chair the FIMC Advisory Board and to see how far we have come in our quest for health equity and policy change. I know you all will continue on this critical path, moving policy, research and programs forward. I can’t wait to celebrate with you the day that Food Is Medicine gets enshrined in healthcare for those living with critical and severe illness. You will get there. Of that, I am sure.
Authored by: Karen Pearl, FIMC Advisory Board Chair