Health is greatly impacted by the food on your plate, and new national findings show just how important this correlation is for neighbors in Atlanta. The Food as Medicine 3.0 (FAM3) Cumulative Report, released today as the largest national Food as Medicine evaluation of its kind, finds that the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s partnership with Grady Health System is supporting measurable health improvements for neighbors facing hunger, including a 31% decrease in overnight hospitalizations among program participants.

The Food as Medicine program, a Feeding America initiative funded by the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and evaluated by the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact, connects consistent access to nutritious food with better health.

The Atlanta program, which reached thousands of patients from April 2023 to December 2025, uses a “screen-refer-nourish” model. Patients screened for food insecurity during medical visits at Grady Health System are referred to Jesse Hill Market—operated by the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Grady and located adjacent to the hospital—where they receive medically tailored, culturally significant food alongside wraparound services including SNAP application assistance and hands-on cooking and nutrition classes.

In Atlanta, the program saw the following positive outcomes:

3,067 patients received food through the program

2,097 patients were referred to SNAP

31% decrease in overnight hospitalizations, compared to baseline

13% average increase in fruit and vegetable intake

12.7% reduction in participants struggling to afford medications

9% decrease in participants experiencing food insecurity

8.3% fewer emergency room visits on average

8% of participants no longer felt they needed to “miss or delay medical care” due to cost

“These findings affirm what we see every day—when neighbors have consistent access to fresh, nutritious food, their health and quality of life improve,” said Kyle Waide, President and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. “Fewer hospital stays, fewer trips to the emergency room and more families being able to afford their medications are direct results of the Food as Medicine program. We are deeply committed to making healthy food more accessible and practical for our Georgia neighbors because health starts with what’s on your plate.”

Atlanta’s outcomes mirror national findings. Across the three-year FAM3 initiative, health care providers screened more than 1.45 million patients for food insecurity and connected more than 161,000 households across 13 states to Food as Medicine programs. Across the FAM3 initiative, hospitalizations fell by 14% and emergency department visit rates fell by 11%, demonstrating that consistent, medically supported food reduced costly healthcare encounters for participants and health systems alike, while providing stability for households—reflected in a nearly 7% increase in food security, a 47% relative increase. Among participants with both baseline and follow-up clinical data, HbA1c, BMI and LDL cholesterol all improved meaningfully, with greater gains for those who attended more dietitian sessions.

A visionary $14.1 million investment by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation’s parent foundation is fueling a national movement, redefining how America connects food and health in a dignified way so that more neighbors can access the nutritious food and health care resources they need to manage chronic health conditions and improve well-being.

The findings arrive as policymakers, health systems and insurers increasingly recognize food security as both a public health and economic concern. The program is designed to deliver services in ways that help remove barriers and respect choice. Participants graduate after one year but can continue receiving food from Jesse Hill Market and SNAP assistance as needed.

For more information about the Atlanta Community Food Bank, including how to help, visit https://www.acfb.org or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.