Connecting physicians, clinics, and patients with trusted tools and resources that support food security and address social determinants of health across Washington.
Screening Tools and Clinical Guidance
The WSMA Foundation is committed to supporting physicians and health care teams in addressing food access and other social needs through practical tools, partnerships, and education. This page is designed to connect clinicians, clinics, community organizations, and patients with trusted resources that support food security across Washington.
Nourishing Health Beyond the Exam Room
Food insecurity is a significant driver of health outcomes across Washington state. Physicians and care teams are increasingly recognizing that access to nutritious food directly impacts chronic disease management, child development, mental health, medication adherence, and overall well-being.
Why Food Access Matters in Health Care
Food insecurity affects patients of all ages, backgrounds, and communities. Limited access to nutritious food can contribute to:
- Poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions.
- Increased emergency department utilization and hospitalizations.
- Delayed child growth and development.
- Increased stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Difficulty adhering to treatment plans and medications.
Health care settings can play a critical role in identifying food insecurity early and connecting patients with supportive community resources. While this directly relates to primary care settings, every specialty has some connection to food security.
Educational Opportunities
The WSMA Foundation supports educational programming that helps physicians better understand and address social drivers of health.
WSMA and WSMA Foundation resources for social determinants of health
One pagers
- One pager with Help Me Grow WA and the WSMA (coming soon)
- One pager about having conversations with patients on social determinants of health (coming soon)
Webinar series
Beyond the Exam Room: Physician-Led Approaches to Food Access & Social Needs, second Monday of every month from noon–1 p.m.
Podcast
All above webinars will be converted into audio only and audio/video playback, available for CME credit.
Get Involved
Addressing food insecurity requires collaboration across health care, public health, and community organizations.
Ways to get involved:
- Incorporate food insecurity screening into your practice.
- Partner with community organizations.
- Participate in WSMA Foundation educational programming.
- Share successful models and best practices.
- Support advocacy efforts addressing social drivers of health.
Contact Us
For questions, ways to get involved, or additional resources related to food access and social drivers of health, please contact Monica Salgaonkar at monica@wsma.org.
More Resources for Physicians and Care Teams
Screening tools and clinical guidance
Incorporating food insecurity screening into clinical workflows can help identify unmet needs and strengthen patient care.
Suggested tools and approaches include:
- The Hunger Vital Sign™ two-question screening tool
- Social determinants of health screening workflows
- Trauma-informed and culturally responsive screening practices
- Team-based approaches to referrals and follow-up
- Integration of community resource referral platforms
Washington state food access organizations
Statewide resource systems can help streamline referrals and improve follow-up with patients. The following organizations provide important food access support, advocacy, and community resources throughout Washington state.