Residents, clinicians and farmers tell committee Food Is Medicine works in pilots and should expand

Dozens of community speakers, clinicians and nonprofit directors told the committee they support CB67 and described concrete pilot outcomes and delivery models.

Joe Liu of the Capital Area Food Bank said his organization provides hunger-relief across the region and urged support: “We provide more than 60,000,000 meals to people in communities across Prince George's County as well as DC and Northern Virginia,” he said, and expressed confidence that the bill would expand a "triple win" of healthier residents, lower health-care costs and more food security. Michelle Burton, who managed the county's Fresh Food as Medicine pilot, described the program's design and results: “Nearly 90 percent of the participants stayed engaged,” she told the committee, and participants saw improvements in weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

Clinicians also testified. Dr. Ivan Zama and a community pediatrician (who identified himself as Kofi) described clinical evidence that dietary interventions can reduce disease burden and called for medically tailored meals and nutrition education as part of clinical care. Farmers and local food businesses emphasized sourcing locally, preserving nutrition by reducing transit time from farm to table, and the economic benefits of stable purchase agreements.

Speakers suggested program elements the work group should consider: produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals coupled with registered dietitians, cooking classes, culturally relevant menu planning, multilingual outreach and distribution through clinics and community hubs. Several witnesses noted funding uncertainty and recommended multiyear commitments and use of existing pilot infrastructure to avoid startup delays.