What is food insecurity?
Health, well-being and access to healthy foods are closely connected. Food insecurity means not having access to affordable and healthy foods for you and your family.
Food insecurity puts us at higher risk of developing chronic diseases. It also makes it harder for our bodies to keep us healthy. Not being able to access healthy and nutritious food (or any food at all) can lead to disease complications, missing doses of important medication and hospitalization. All of these things can make health care costs more expensive.
How common is food insecurity in Maine?
Nearly 1 out of every 5 children in Maine experience food insecurity. 13% of all people, about 1 in every 10, experience food insecurity.
What is MaineHealth doing?
Through a partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Community Health & Hunger Program, MaineHealth care teams have been trained on food insecurity and it's connection to chronic disease. We have added food access resources into our electronic health record (EHR) system and offer healthy food resources to patients who need them.
All MaineHealth primary care practices and inpatient departments have added food insecurity screening questions. All patients who come for routine visits and inpatient admissions are asked these questions. Learn more about the Hunger Vital Sign screening tool.
Ask for help with accessing healthy food
We can help you find healthy food in your community. We can also help you:
- Apply for health coverage
- Access affordable medications
- Find transportation and other social services
Contact the MaineHealth Patient Assistance Line at patientassistline@mainehealth.org or 1-833-MHHELP1 (833-644-3571).
Contact Us
For more information, please contact foodismedicine@mainehealth.org.