Providing Food for Those in Immediate Need
Onsite food closet assists SSM Health Monroe patients
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Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bordner
Immediate need food bags provide food and resources for patients at appointments.
To aid in the shortening of the wait time for patients needing access to food, SSM Health Monroe Hospital and SSM Health Monroe Clinic Medical Group created an onsite food closet.
When patients in primary care, pediatrics or behavioral health identify as not having food during screening questions during appointments, they are given a slip to redeem for an immediate need food bag.
Included in the immediate need food bags is non-perishable food items provided through a partnership with Green Cares Food Pantry in Monticello, Wisconsin. The bags also have printed resources in English and Spanish that include local food pantry information, other important community resources phone number list and hiring information for entry-level positions at SSM Health.
"The food closet gives us an opportunity to give our patients that screen food insecure assistance immediately," shared Tammie Jamiska, Community Health Specialist at SSM Health Monroe Hospital. "The bags are to help them get through a couple days until they can establish with a local food pantry."
Using a multi-phase approach, SSM Health debuted the food pantry in Monroe and four clinics in Wisconsin in August 2022. Plans are in progress to also offer this program in five clinic locations in Illinois, as well as additional departments in Monroe.
Since launching, more than 30 patients have received immediate need food bags.
About SSM Health
SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. The organization's 40,000 team members and more than 11,000 providers are committed to providing exceptional health care services and revealing God's healing presence to everyone they serve.
With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 290 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 12 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. It is one of the largest employers in every community it serves. For more information, visit https://www.ssmhealth.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
