Philadelphia Medicine, Fall 2017 - 23

p h i l a m e d s o c  .o rg

Fighting food insecurity in modern america

What can we do?
It can seem daunting to tackle Food Insecurity in our daily
practice. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Food
Research and Action Council recommends employing these
three tactics to address food insecurity:

Campaign to Preserve
the Practice of Medicine

1.Take the Hunger Vital Sign using the validated 2-item
Food Insecurity Screening tool by Hager and colleagues (2010)
and consider integrating this into the electronic health record
for streamlined monitoring over time.
1) Within the past 12 months, we worried whether our food
would run out before we got money to buy more.
2) Within the past 12 months, the food we bought just didn't
last and we didn't have money to get more.
2. Connect families to federal nutrition programs and other
healthy eating resources in your community.
- Be sure that families are connected to WIC, SNAP, and
free meal programs associated with schools and after-school
programs as eligible.
-Use www.phillyfoodfinder.org to help families find resources
within their zip code.
-Provide families with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition
against Hunger Hotline: 215-769-0659.
-Find many more resources at Cap4Kids.com/Philadelphia.
3. Support national and local policies that increase healthy
food access.
- Visit the Philadelphia Food Trust website (thefoodtrust.
org) to see current activities at all levels of policy to learn how
you can get involved.
See the full FI Toolkit from the AAP and FRAC here:
http://www.frac.org/wp-content/uploads/frac-aap-toolkit.pdf.

Bringing it Back
As for the family I saw in clinic, it all started with asking the
right questions. From there I was able to assure that they were
connected to SNAP benefits, a summer food program, and the
local food bank. I spent most of the visit affirming this mother's
honorable attempts to improve her family's diet while trying
to correct some miseducation. After the visit, I was left with
a continued sense of purpose to continue to advocate for this
family and others like them outside of the clinic walls. Indeed,
while education, counseling, and compassion are the cornerstones
of our role as clinicians, we must continue to advocate for an
improved food system that does not unjustly harm our most
vulnerable populations. *
Jennifer Robbins, MD
Thomas Jefferson MPH Candidate 2018
General Academic Pediatric Fellow Nemours/AI DuPont
Hospital for Children

Why am I
a PCMS member?
Having the distinct privilege of practicing and teaching,
I see the demands placed upon physicians at every level.
That's why it has always been extremely important to share
my knowledge and expertise to continue the responsible
practice of medicine for health care now and in the future.
My PCMS membership reminds me why we need to
preserve the practice of medicine.
Membership in the PCMS allows me to stay connected
to the issues that impact the practice of medicine in our
community and around the world, and the demands
placed upon our current health care delivery model. This
helps me bridge the educational and practice gap in
preparing our physicians of tomorrow.
If you're not a member, my fellow members of the
PCMS and I urge you to invest in our collective futures
and preserve the practice of medicine through your
membership in PCMS.

Join us at the Philadelphia County Medical
Society today by calling 215-563-5343, x 101 or
join online at PhilaMedSoc.org.

Sincerely,
Curtis T. Miyamoto, M.D., Professor and Chairperson
Department of Radiation Oncology, Lewis Katz, School
of Medicine, Temple University, Associate Director for
Clinical Services, Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple
University Hospital

Fall 2017 : Philadelphia Medicine 23
http://www.phillyfoodfinder.org http://www.Cap4Kids.com/Philadelphia http://www.frac.org/wp-content/uploads/frac-aap-toolkit.pdf http://www.PhilaMedSoc.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Philadelphia Medicine, Fall 2017
