One Household at a Time

MetroHealth’s Food as Medicine (FAM) program tackles one of the most powerful drivers of health: access to nutritious food. For patients living with diabetes, hypertension, heart failure and other chronic conditions, food is not optional — it is essential. FAM provides medically tailored groceries, nutrition education and ongoing support so patients and their families can stabilize their diets, improve health outcomes and regain a sense of control.

But food alone isn’t enough. That’s where Pat Hardy comes in.

As a Certified Community Health Worker with FAM, Pat often turns groceries into health. She delivers food to patients who can’t reach the clinic. Last year alone, more than 260 food packages were delivered directly to patients’ homes to ensure continuity of care.

Pat also looks and listens for the barriers that are easy to miss – a broken refrigerator, no transportation or a home where cooking safely isn’t possible.

“People think I just deliver food,” Pat said. “But it’s more than that. I’m looking for what gets in the way of health, and then I help fix it.”

When a Spanish-speaking patient quietly shared that her refrigerator had stopped working, Pat helped secure a replacement. The woman wept with relief. For Pat, it wasn’t about an appliance. It was about restoring dignity and stability so a household could thrive.

Care That Changes Lives

Henry Harris knows that impact firsthand. Living with diabetes, he once struggled to eat consistently. “Before the program, I might eat once a day,” he said. “Now I can spread meals out, make healthier choices, and I feel the difference.”

The groceries Henry brings home support his entire household – his sister, her husband and their three children – with fresh produce, pantry staples and ingredients for simple recipes he’s learned to prepare. “Food as Medicine is amazing,” Henry said. “Pat is a lifesaver.”

His experience reflects a broader need. In 2025, MetroHealth screened nearly 75,000 unique patients for social drivers of health and found a 22% rate of food insecurity. FAM focuses on patients with diet-related chronic conditions, offering access to clinic-based, choice-style pantries up to twice a month. Participants receive a three-day supply of healthy groceries for their full household, along with nutrition education.

The care is clinical by design. Encounters are documented, key health markers like blood pressure and A1C are tracked, and outcomes are monitored. Previous evaluation of the FAM program found that participation was associated with a 0.4-point reduction in A1C, fewer inpatient visits and nearly $27,900 in reduced hospital charges per patient per year.

Why Philanthropy Matters

Food as Medicine is funded entirely through philanthropy. Donor support keeps shelves and refrigerators stocked, enables home delivery, supports education and helps MetroHealth reach families at greatest risk.

When Henry is asked what he would say to a potential supporter, he doesn’t mention statistics. He talks about three meals a day, better lab results and the relief of knowing his household is cared for.

One household at a time, generosity turns food into health — and caregivers like Pat into lifelines.

YOUR IMPACT

To support the Food as Medicine program, contact Greg Sanders, Vice President of Philanthropy, at 440-592-1319 or gsanders@metrohealth.org. Or, click here to make a donation.