By addressing FI and nutrition directly, we aim to enhance the health and well-being of both children and their caregivers in SMCH, ensuring families receive resources to promote greater economic and psychosocial well-being while supporting the healing and care of our pediatric patients.

We are launching a community-centered intervention to better identify, address and evaluate pilot food access interventions for patients and families at SMCH. Key aims include:

• Improving and standardizing food insecurity screening for families at LPCH
• Mapping food needs and resources inside and outside the hospital by conducting caregiver surveys and interviews
• Executing and evaluating a pilot intervention consisting of three key components:
  • Piloting all-hours food pantries in 2 hospital units and one specialty clinic in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC)
  • Expanding RMHC Happy Wheel’s snack cart operating hours
  • Working with families and communities to co-create and provide resources cards in four languages that map in-hospital food resources and broader, county-specific food resources, with the goal of helping families navigate available food resources in the hospital and after their discharge home
• Disseminating information to providers, residents, and staff throughout the hospital and outpatient clinics

Learn more about the OCHE’s previous work addressing food insecurity here.

If you are interested in collaborating, please e-mail officeofchildhealthequity@stanford.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!