Social and behavioral scientist MB Mitcham, director of George Mason University's Online MPH Program and an assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, received funding for “Strengthening Food as Medicine Pathways in Southwest Virginia.”
“I am extremely excited about this opportunity, as it meets a very viable gap that exists in many rural regions throughout the United States, including Southwest Virginia and Appalachia. Many experts talk about food accessibility, food deserts, food apartheid, and food security. However, they fail to recognize that there is a difference between access to food and access to nutrient-dense, healthy food, and that is a fundamental component of the prevention arm of public health," said Mitcham, the principal investigator for George Mason’s subcontract component. "I am extremely excited that this grant was funded this past January, and that our team will be able to help create the infrastructure for what I expect to be a robust food as medicine program."
The Network Planning Group will come together to determine the next steps and necessary resources to enact a planning process, identify the necessary procedures and policies across existing health care facilities for programmatic success and increased efficiencies, strengthen relationships, and expedite communication and flow of services across the region.
Additionally, as a Network Planning Member, George Mason partners will be responsible for assisting in creating reports, conducting necessary research, and maintaining appropriate records and documentation.
Together, this consortium will meet the program’s goals by compiling and sharing data and statistics relevant to the goals and objectives of the grant. It will identify the necessary infrastructure, procedures, and additional partners needed to establish a strengthen Rural Food as Medicine Pathways in Southwest Virginia.
Mitcham received $8,500 from Graduate Medical Education Consortium of Southwest Virginia on a subaward from the Health Resources and Services Administration for this project.