Syracuse University, Maxwell School Center for Policy Research

People experiencing food insecurity often face poorer diet quality, higher rates of diet-related illnesses, and greater health care costs. Research shows that medically supportive food and nutrition services—known as Food Is Medicine (FIM)—can reduce the severity of these problems. Veterans generally experience worse health outcomes and higher rates of food insecurity compared to civilians. A recent veterans’ needs assessment commissioned by NYHealth found that one-quarter of veterans in New York experienced food insecurity in the past year. Yet, few FIM models have been tailored to meet the specific needs of veterans. In 2022, NYHealth awarded God’s Love We Deliver a grant to develop and launch a FIM pilot to serve veterans, with a focus on veterans with behavioral health diagnoses. God’s Love developed an enhanced menu optimized for mental health, expanded community outreach, and trained staff to deliver trauma-informed, culturally competent care to veterans. In 2024, NYHealth awarded God’s Love We Deliver a grant to expand its Phase 1 pilot to improve the health and food security of veterans. 

Under this grant, the Maxwell X Lab will evaluate a new FIM pilot (carried out in partnership with the Syracuse VA Medical Center and Instacart) that provides nutrition counseling and a $100 monthly subsidy for home delivery of medically tailored groceries to veterans with diabetes and hypertension. The project aims to build the case for sustainability at Veterans Affairs (VA) sites across the country, as well as with health plans. It will collect, analyze, and share qualitative and clinical outcome data to make the case for expanded FIM programs for veterans, with the ultimate goal of securing Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare reimbursement for FIM services  

NYHealth is also supporting a complementary initiative with God’s Love We Deliver.