We are heading into 2022 at this time, and as promised here are the 2021 updates and recaps! Our team has completed the 2- year Walmart grant funded Farmacy WV program as of January 2022. Through the combined efforts of innovative and dedicated clinic staff, farmers, and educators, we continue to see improvement in our HgA1c levels. We are now lowering HgA1c levels by .9 over the course of 15 weeks! This is amazing in that pharmaceuticals that lower blood sugars rarely show such excellent improvement over such a short period of time. This as well as survey results touting the benefits to overall health, improvement of cooking skills and produce nutrition awareness are proof positive that “Healthy Food is Medicine”, and that it should be considered first line in treating diet related diseases such as Type II diabetes and heart disease.
FARMacy WV is now in 25 sites in 23 counties with continued expansion into both clinics and hospital systems in the state. We have multiple new sites that will start in 2022 and have recently received grant funding through the WV Farmers Market Association from the DHHR to continue funding 8 established FARMacy programs. All of these clinics are in severely food insecure areas of the state. Please see the map on the website for current locations.
As we continue to grow with the partnership of both the WVU Extension office and the Health Services Research Group at the WVU School of Public Health, we are searching for ways to sustain this program through the Medicaid system as well as through private insurers. We have developed both policy briefs for legislators as well as Continuing Medical Education for our current and potential providers of the program. This CME program focuses on FARMacy WV history and program structure as well as health disparities and equity issues which exist in our state. It will be provided live and recordings will be available to anyone interested in learning more about these issues. Please contact c_greco_do@msn.com for additional information.
Sistersville Hospital in conjunction with Memorial Health Systems of Marietta will be hosting an expanded year- long pilot program incorporating FARMacy WV, healthy eating education, behavioral change, and movement starting this March. It will be the first of its kind in West Virginia. With the guidance and energy of both Lisa and Jon DuMars, who are local growers in the area, this program is a comprehensive approach to Wellness at the grass roots level. In partnership with Dr. David Drozek of Memorial Health System and Judi Hladek of the Wellness Bridge we feel that this program will be a success in empowering patients to control their chronic disease.
Our FARMacy WV team is dedicated to changing the way health care is practiced in our state. We believe in the concept of” Healthy Food as Medicine” and that healthy food access and affordability is a fundamental right of all West Virginians. Go FARMacy WV 2022!!!
