Food can be powerful medicine, and this year WSHA is proud to recognize Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) with the 2026 Community Health Leadership Award for improving health outcomes and nutrition across King, Pierce, and Kitsap counties.
Their Food Systems Initiative tackles two critical challenges: food insecurity and chronic disease. Through partnerships with food banks, farmers, public health agencies and community organizations, VMFH is expanding access to culturally appropriate foods, rescuing unused hospital meals, and connecting patients with nutrition assistance.
Tailored food boxes also help patients with chronic conditions maintain access to healthy meals.
With an initial goal of enrolling 150 patients, VMFH has served 220, with 75% seeing improvement in hospital readmissions and many reporting greater food security and healthier eating habits.
Beyond individual patients, the initiative has rescued more than 5,000 meals, diverted over 6,000 pounds of food from landfills, supported 11 nonprofit organizations, and referred more than 77,000 patients for nutrition assistance.
VMFH’s work shows how hospitals can extend care past their walls and partner with their communities to improve health for everyone.
Sincerely,
Ashley Trotti
WSHA Senior Director, Member Engagement
[email protected]