NC program advances integration of food into health care

North Carolina could provide a scalable blueprint for integrating food into the health care system, following the success of NourishingWake, a program by NourishedRx. The “Food is Health” initiative by NourishedRx is a program parallel to the Trump administration’s “Food is Medicine,” a part of the Rural Health Transportation Program (RHTP), a project of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

In December, North Carolina was awarded $213 million in federal grant money as part of a $50 billion CMS initiative that allocates funds to RHTP. While NourishedRx is not an official partner of the CMS’s RHT program, it shares the initiative’s goals. 

It is a partnership with Wake County and Farmer Foodshare, Nourishing Wake is a project of NourishedRx that connects residents with locally sourced, nutritious food. Referrals are coordinated through health care and community-based organizations, including Advance Community Health, Urban Ministries of Wake County, WakeMed, Duke Health, UNC Health, and Catholic Charities.

NourishedRx is a bridge between health care and food, Lauren Driscoll, founder and CEO of NourishedRx, told the Carolina Journal. Farmer Foodshare is the program supplier for Nourishing Wake; it’s a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). 

“States are looking for models that can move from policy to implementation,” said Driscoll, in a press release. “Our work in North Carolina shows that with the right infrastructure, partnerships, and clinical integration, local food systems can be fully connected to healthcare delivery in ways that dramatically improve health, support rural providers and community organizations, and strengthen agricultural economies.”

Throughout North Carolina, NourishedRx maintains a broader network, which includes Men and Women United for Youth & Families, RAMS Kitchen, Nourish Up, Biggers Market, Good Bowls, Caja Solidaria, and Freshlist.

“We have the technology that is really providing basically a bridge between many different stakeholders: on the community side, on the food side, and also a broad array of folks on the healthcare side,” said Driscoll. “We can make sure that it’s personalized to really help each individual address their specific health problems. And that’s why we think it’s a good model for other states.”

In 2025, NourishedRX sourced and delivered over 75,000 servings of food from over 140 farmers and producers in North Carolina, according to the press release. This was an investment of more than $250,000 back into the state’s agricultural economy. 

“NourishedRx’s work in North Carolina shows what’s possible when innovation, private-sector coordination, and local agriculture are allowed to lead,” Kelly Lester, policy analyst for the Center for Food, Power and Life at the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “By connecting health care providers like WakeMed and UNC Health with local farmers and community partners, this model proves that market-driven solutions can tackle diet-related disease while strengthening rural economies. Rather than expanding bureaucracy, it leverages technology, voluntary partnerships, and regional food networks to deliver measurable health improvements and reduce long-term costs. That’s the kind of scalable, pro-growth approach that empowers patients, supports North Carolina agriculture, and demonstrates how free-market principles can advance both public health and economic resilience.”

NourishedRx also runs other nutritional programs in North Carolina, including one targeting individuals with diabetes and another targeting individuals transitioning from institutional housing. 

“NC program advances integration of food into health care” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.