"As physicians, we know that nutrition plays an important role in preventing and managing chronic disease, but telling someone to eat healthier is not the same as giving them the tools and resources to do it," said Meagan Grega, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of Kellyn.
Through its Intensive Lifestyle Medicine program, families and community members participate in a 12-month program that combines nutrition education, hands-on cooking classes, group support, and practical tools for incorporating whole-food, plant-forward meals into everyday life.
That work is part of a broader Healthy Neighborhood Immersion Strategy that Kellyn has developed over nearly two decades to bridge the gap between clinical care and the communities where people live. Through lifestyle medicine, food access, culinary education, school-based programming and intensive lifestyle change interventions, Kellyn works alongside healthcare and community partners to address the conditions that shape health outside the exam room.
"For nearly 20 years, Kellyn has been building the connection between health care and community because we know that lasting health changes cannot happen in the healthcare setting alone," said Eric Ruth, CEO and co-founder of Kellyn Foundation. "Endorsing and Supporting the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act is an opportunity to help bring that same approach to more communities across the country."
The Accountable Produce is Medicine Act reflects many of the principles Kellyn has put into practice locally, creating a model to expand access to qualifying Food is Medicine programs and more closely connect nutrition interventions with healthcare.
For Kellyn, the bipartisan momentum behind the legislation represents a larger shift in how health and chronic disease are addressed. Rather than treating nutrition solely as advice delivered during a medical appointment, Food is Medicine models create opportunities to integrate healthy food, education and ongoing support.
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About Kellyn
Founded in 2007, Kellyn is a physician-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice. Kellyn's "Healthy Neighborhood Immersion Strategy" provides school-based healthy lifestyle and "Garden as a Classroom" education; affordable and convenient access to produce and prepared meals; engages participants in hands-on, plant-forward cooking classes in community settings; and offers intensive medically-based therapeutic lifestyle change interventions.
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Source: Kellyn
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