Food is Medicine

Delaware Food Farmacy

Improving food access, dietary behaviors, and overall health outcomes

Comprehensive Intervention Our Partner Pathways

A Comprehensive Intervention

The Delaware Food Farmacy is a comprehensive Food is Medicine intervention designed to reduce health disparities and improve clinical outcomes among populations at risk for diet-related chronic diseases. Participants enrolled in the program receive weekly deliveries of medically tailored groceries, along with integrated support from Community Health Workers (CHWs), pharmacists, and registered dietitians. The program aims to improve food access, dietary behaviors, chronic disease management, and overall health outcomes while reducing hospital utilization.

Through the program, Community Health Workers conduct in-home kitchen assessments to ensure patients have the necessary tools to successfully prepare healthy meals. Participants are provided with essential kitchen equipment, along with customized, medically tailored recipes designed to meet their specific dietary and cultural needs. All ChristianaCare CHWs are ServSafe certified, enabling them to offer hands-on cooking demonstrations and meal preparation support directly in patients’ homes—empowering participants with lifelong skills to sustain healthier eating habits.

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A Trusted Partner

Food provisions for the program are sourced and delivered by Lutheran Community Services (LCS), a trusted nonprofit partner with deep roots in Delaware’s food access network. Approximately 50% of the groceries provided to patients are sourced from local farmers, thanks to a strategic partnership with the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, supporting both patient health and the local agricultural economy.

LCS has been a pillar of support in the Delaware community for over 60 years, addressing hunger, homelessness, and emergency needs with dignity and compassion. Operating more than 12 food pantries across New Castle County, LCS brings trusted community relationships, operational expertise, and a commitment to health equity to the Delaware Food Farmacy. Their leadership in sourcing and delivering high-quality, medically tailored groceries makes LCS an essential partner in advancing ChristianaCare’s Food is Medicine initiatives.

Farms & Farmers

Thank you to our local farms and farmers—Powers Farm, Haas Family Butcher Shop, Fifer’s Orchards, Dittmar, PennFarm, and Chesapeake Gold Farms—for nourishing our communities and fueling a healthier Delaware. Your partnership is essential as we work to strengthen our local food system and grow a thriving farm and food economy across the state.

Targeted Pathways

The Delaware Food Farmacy operates two targeted pathways:

Primary and Specialty Care

The Delaware Food Farmacy offers a six-month Food is Medicine program serving Medicaid-insured primary and specialty care patients with uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, or congestive heart failure. Participants receive weekly deliveries of medically tailored groceries designed to provide ingredients for 10 healthy meals per week. In addition to nutrition support, patients work closely with Community Health Workers to address health goals, manage social needs, and access integrated services from pharmacists, and registered dietitians, and behavioral health consultants.

Women's Health

The Women’s Health Delaware Food Farmacy (WHDFF) focuses on pregnant patients between 4 and 14 weeks gestation who have a BMI of 30 or higher. Participants receive weekly deliveries of medically tailored groceries, alongside nutrition education and social support aimed at improving both maternal and fetal health. The WHDFF is currently being evaluated as part of a research study to assess its impact on pregnancy outcomes, nutrition security, and clinical care models for pregnant women.