Staff Perspectives and Organizational Climate Factors Related to Implementation of Food is Medicine Programming in a Federally Qualified Health Center.

ABSTRACT

The Food is Medicine (FIM) movement posits that food access and knowledge are key parts of disease prevention and treatment, but little research has explored how FIM programs fit into the organizational context of federally qualified health centers (FQHC). The purpose of this study was to explore the organizational climate and clinic staff perspectives on a FIM program being implemented in an FQHC. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study with clinic staff during the early implementation of a clinicbased FIM program. Clinic staff (n=40) perceived that patient nutrition was a high priority for the clinic, but that support for providing nutrition resources was more limited. We found high willingness and likelihood of using the FIM program services among staff, but some expressed concern regarding staffing and cultural appropriateness of programming. Optimal adoption and use of FIM investments in FQHCs may be supported by integration with existing clinical workflows.