Atlanta food bank’s food-as-medicine program cuts hospitalizations 31%

A national evaluation released July 9 found that the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s partnership with Grady Health System improved health outcomes for Georgians facing hunger, including fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits. The results add evidence that medically supported food programs can reduce costs for patients and health systems while improving chronic disease management.

Why it matters: - The Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Food as Medicine program is showing that access to nutritious food can improve health outcomes for patients facing hunger. - The program also points to a possible way to reduce avoidable hospital use and help patients manage chronic conditions. - The findings come as health systems and insurers increasingly treat food insecurity as a public health and economic issue.

What happened: - The Food as Medicine 3.0 Cumulative Report, released July 9, evaluated the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s partnership with Grady Health System. - The Atlanta program reached thousands of patients from April 2023 to December 2025. - Patients screened for food insecurity during medical visits at Grady were referred to Jesse Hill Market, which is operated by the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Grady and sits next to the hospital. - The market provided medically tailored, culturally significant food. - The program also offered SNAP application help, cooking classes and nutrition classes.

The details: - In Atlanta, 3,067 patients received food through the program. - 2,097 patients were referred to SNAP. - Overnight hospitalizations fell 31% compared with baseline. - Emergency room visits fell 8.3% on average. - Fruit and vegetable intake rose 13% on average. - The share of participants struggling to afford medications fell 12.7%. - Food insecurity fell 9% among participants. - 8% of participants said they no longer felt they needed to miss or delay medical care because of cost. - Across the three-year national FAM3 initiative, health care providers screened more than 1.45 million patients for food insecurity. - The national effort connected more than 161,000 households across 13 states to Food as Medicine programs. - Nationwide, hospitalizations fell 14% and emergency department visit rates fell 11%. - The national findings also showed nearly a 7% increase in food security, which the report described as a 47% relative increase. - Among participants with both baseline and follow-up clinical data, HbA1c, BMI and LDL cholesterol improved. - Participants who attended more dietitian sessions saw greater gains. - The program is a Feeding America initiative funded by the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and evaluated by the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact. - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation’s parent foundation made a $14.1 million investment to support the national effort. - Participants graduate after one year but can keep getting food from Jesse Hill Market and SNAP assistance as needed.

Between the lines: - The Atlanta results mirror the broader national pattern, strengthening the case that food support can work as a health intervention, not just a social service. - The combination of food access, screening and wraparound services appears designed to reduce barriers while preserving choice and dignity. - The reported drop in hospitalizations and emergency visits suggests possible savings for both patients and health systems, though the release does not provide a cost estimate. - The model also appears aimed at chronic disease management, given the improvements in clinical measures such as HbA1c, BMI and LDL cholesterol.

What's next: - The Atlanta Community Food Bank says the program will continue to connect eligible participants with food and SNAP assistance after graduation from the one-year model. - The organization is directing supporters to more information about helping the food bank. - The broader national Food as Medicine effort is likely to remain part of conversations among policymakers, insurers and health systems looking for lower-cost ways to improve health outcomes.

The bottom line: - The Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Grady partnership has turned food access into a measurable health intervention, with fewer hospital stays, fewer ER visits and better nutrition-related outcomes for participants.