Northwell Health and Instacart are teaming up to provide food and nutrition services to Northwell patients, the companies announced Wednesday.
New Hyde Park, New York-based Northwell Health is a health system with 21 hospitals, 900 outpatient facilities and 12,000 affiliated physicians. San Francisco-based Instacart is a grocery technology company. Its healthcare division provides access to healthy foods and partners with healthcare organizations in food-for-medicine programs.
Northwell is leveraging Instacart Health’s tools to address the social determinants of patients’ health and support its “Food is Healthy” program. According to Dr. Debbie Salas-Lopez, senior vice president of community and population health at Northwell, Northwell will begin by launching the Northwell Healthy Choices Virtual Storefront, offering a curated selection of healthy foods chosen by the health system’s nutrition services team.
The health system is integrating Instacart Health tools into its Maternal Health Maternal Outcomes and Morbidity Collaborating Center (MOMS). With a focus on Black and Brown communities, Northwell will provide nutritional guidance to pregnant women through its virtual store and Instacart Health Fresh Funds (online grocery allowance). Studies have shown that women who eat a nutritious diet during pregnancy have healthier babies and are less likely to experience pregnancy-related complications.
“By partnering with Instacart, Northwell’s Mom Centers are making it easier for pregnant women to follow their health care providers’ expert nutrition advice, helping to reduce the risk of pregnancy-related complications and improve their health outcomes,” Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of Instacart Health, said in an email.
Northwell chose to launch a partnership with Instacart to provide more healthy food options for patients.
“As Northwell’s ‘Food is Healthy’ program has evolved, we’ve learned that while traditional approaches like providing patients with bags or boxes of produce are good, choice is crucial, especially in a culturally diverse area like Northwell’s New York City metropolitan service area,” Salas-Lopez said in an email. “Allowing individuals and families to purchase healthy foods that fit their diet, culture and personal preferences and have them delivered to their home with provider guidance is groundbreaking in making lasting changes to eating habits toward healthier choices.”
Northwell is currently developing additional programs using Instacart tools. Salas Lopez said the goal of the partnership is to “provide staff, patients and the community with the tools and resources to access nutritious foods, ultimately leading to ‘better health,’ improved eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight and reducing chronic disease.”
Instacart did not disclose the financial model of the partnership. The grocery technology company launched several partnerships with health care organizations last year, including NationsBenefit, Dispatch Health, Mount Sinai and Alignment. Other companies offering healthy food support include Seasons Health, Nourished Rx and Fay.
Photo: fcafotodigital, Getty Images
