2026 ARCHIVES
6th Annual
Food as Medicine
From Promise to Implementation to Scalable Impact
May 5 - 6, 2026 ALL TIMES CDT
Building upon over half a decade of impact, the summit will once again provide the meeting point for healthcare providers, CBOs, insurers, food companies, government, associations, and more to come together and take Food as Medicine from promise to a long-term, sustainable reality. Food as Medicine approaches continue to receive unprecedented attention, but there is still much for us to work through as an industry to truly deliver on this potential.
The Food as Medicine Summit continues to be the place where the defining conversations and connection-building of the industry happens, and this is your chance to be part of them. Key themes for this year's event include expanding the impact of the new administration, evolving partnership models, expanding the reach of Food as Medicine, and much more. Enhanced networking and event experiences are also planned for 2026. With our commitment to quality and tangible takeaways, attendees will leave the Summit with new connections, learnings, and an even greater appetite for driving forward Food as Medicine.
Coverage will include, but is not limited to:
• The impact of recent and upcoming policy and regulatory changes
• Demonstrating the “Value” of Food as Medicine
• Expanding and scaling the reach and impact of Food as Medicine programs
• Improving access and outcomes for participants
• Multistakeholder discussions with leaders from across the industry
• Growing and unifying the Food as Medicine movement
Tuesday, May 5
12:00 pmRegistration Open
Kick off the Food as Medicine Summit with new connections and old friends.
THE FOOD, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH LANDSCAPE
The Food as Medicine Industry Speaks
Rick Leach, Executive Director, Food as Medicine Initiative, Arizona State University
As Food as Medicine continues to move into the mainstream, alignment across policy, healthcare, payers, and community partners is critical. This opening keynote panel will provide a candid look at where the field stands today, what has been achieved over the past year, and what lies ahead. By highlighting both the opportunities and the challenges, panelists will set the stage for two days of discussion and collaboration.
- How has the Food as Medicine movement evolved over the past year, and what new opportunities are emerging?
- What policy shifts are creating the biggest impact on adoption and access?
- How are we demonstrating value and scalability of Food as Medicine approaches?
- Where are the most promising models of success currently emerging?
- What are the most significant barriers slowing down progress, and how can they be overcome?
- How can stakeholders better align messaging to policymakers, funders, and the public?
- What should be the top three priorities for the field over the next 12 months and beyond?
Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, ABOIM, Co-Director, Culinary Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor Pritzker School of Medicine; Director, Integrative Nutrition and Advocacy, University of Chicago; Endeavor Health
Medically Tailored Meals: Clinical Evidence, Economic Impact, and Policy Opportunity
This session explores the role of medically tailored meals within the broader Food as Medicine movement—an approach gaining momentum as health care organizations seek more effective ways to support individuals with chronic conditions. Attendees will learn from key findings in recent research, including real-world program outcomes and national modeling that demonstrate the potential impact of medically tailored meals at scale. The session will also examine what this evidence means for health systems and payers working to design and implement more effective, outcomes-driven nutrition strategies.
2:50 pmNetworking Coffee Break
Networking is a core pillar of The Food as Medicine Summit. To help kick off The Food as Medicine Summit, this extended networking session will enable you to connect with new peers and old friends to broaden and deepen your network in the field.
THE VALUE AND ROI OF FOOD AS MEDICINE
Creating Shared Value—How Better-for-You Brands Drive Health and Growth
This session explores how brands are redefining value by improving consumer health outcomes while strengthening retailer performance. Hear how initiatives like the Good Food Collective are aligning industry standards, policy proposals such as front-of-pack labeling, and brand collaboration to create measurable impact and mutual benefit across the food ecosystem.
Scaling Impact—What We Learned from 1 Million Screenings, 200 Thousand Referrals, and 3 Years of Food as Medicine
Explore how Feeding America’s network of food banks and food co-ops have evolved from emergency food providers to strategic health partners. This session presents the final health outcome data, from their three-year Food as Medicine evaluation, highlighting how food bank-health care partnerships are reshaping chronic disease care. The presentation will explore how participant feedback, health metrics, and community engagement informed program design and delivery.
Beyond Demonstrating the Value—How Can We Convince Commercial Decision-Makers?
Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, Senior Director, Lifestyle Medicine, Blue Shield of California
While enthusiasm for Food as Medicine has grown, scaling requires convincing the financial decision-makers who prioritize cost savings, efficiency, and return on investment. This panel will dig deeper into how the field can move from demonstrating potential to proving value at scale. Panelists will explore the evidence needed to win economic arguments and strategies to embed Food as Medicine into mainstream healthcare and policy.
- How do we measure success beyond healthcare cost savings to include broader social impact?
- What gaps remain in data collection and evaluation—and how can they be addressed?
- How do we communicate long-term benefits to stakeholders focused on short-term budgets?
- What role can federal and state governments play in advancing the economic case?
- How do public-private partnerships help build the evidence base?
- How do we counter skepticism from stakeholders who are unconvinced by current ROI studies?
5:30 pmNetworking Reception (Sponsorship Opportunity Available)
At the end of Day 1, continue to make new connections, connect with folks you met earlier during the day, and catch up with old friends.
6:30 pmClose of Day
Wednesday, May 6
8:00 amRegistration Open & Networking Breakfast
Connect with your new, extended network over breakfast to get Day 2 of The Food as Medicine Summit started.
THE FRONT LINE OF FOOD AS MEDICINE
Lessons Learned from the Front Line of Food as Medicine
Curt Ellis, Co-Founder & CEO, FoodCorps
Frontline providers, community organizations, and health systems are where Food as Medicine programs are truly put to the test. This panel will bring together those delivering interventions on the ground to share practical insights, lessons learned, and strategies for overcoming real-world barriers. Their reflections will highlight how to translate ideas into tangible results in communities.
- What’s working well in frontline program delivery, and what isn’t?
- How are community-based organizations and healthcare providers collaborating in practice?
- What have we learned about patient engagement and retention?
- How can frontline staff be better supported to deliver these programs effectively?
- What innovations are emerging at the community level that deserve broader adoption?
- How do we ensure equity in delivery across different populations and geographies?
From Prescribed to Consumed: Rethinking What Medically-Tailored Meals Must Deliver
The evidence base for Food as Medicine is established. The harder question is whether the meals being delivered are actually working. This session brings together clinical, behavioral, and operational perspectives to examine what separates high-adherence medically-tailored meal programs from those that fall short—and what health plans, providers, and care teams can do to drive real, sustained outcomes for their members.
10:25 amCoffee Break with Exhibit Viewing
The final extended networking break gives attendees the opportunity to make extra connections and set the next steps for their discussions beyond the walls of the event with the new and old members of their network.
SCALING FOOD AS MEDICINE
Harnessing Collaborative Expertise to Scale Food as Medicine
Edwin McDonald, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Director, Adult Clinical Nutrition, UChicago
Utilizing the collective expertise of physicians, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, and other care professionals is essential to advancing Food as Medicine within healthcare. This session will highlight how coordinated, team-based approaches can drive successful implementation and expansion of Food as Medicine programs across diverse care settings. Speakers will share lessons learned in aligning clinical workflows, managing data sharing, and establishing sustainable funding mechanisms that enable consistent impact and measurable outcomes.
How Food Is Medicine Drives Better Chronic Care Outcomes, Quality Performance, and Local Economic Impact
Food insecurity and diet‑related chronic conditions continue to undermine outcomes, equity, and quality performance. This session highlights a cross‑sector Food Is Medicine (FIM) partnership that integrates primary care, community‑based nutrition support, and local food systems to improve blood pressure, A1C, and HEDIS‑aligned quality measures. Attendees will learn practical strategies to operationalize culturally responsive FIM models, align outcomes to value‑based care, and build scalable, sustainable prevention‑focused solutions.
12:45 pmNetworking Luncheon
ALIGNING INCENTIVES & REVOLUTIONIZING PATIENT OUTCOMES
Aligning Incentives to Drive Scalable, Sustainable Food as Medicine Models
Virginia Barnes, MPH, CHIE, Director, Blue Health Initiatives, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
For Food as Medicine to reach national scale, collaboration among healthcare systems, payers, food retailers, and community organizations must move beyond pilots and into long-term operational models. This discussion will explore how to align incentives, share data, and secure sustained funding to make Food as Medicine a standard part of care delivery. Panelists will examine where partnerships have succeeded, what challenges persist, and how different sectors can work together to institutionalize Food as Medicine programs.
- What partnership structures have proven most effective in moving beyond pilot programs?
- How can data interoperability be improved between healthcare and community partners?
- What role should payers play in advancing long-term funding for Food as Medicine?
- How do we align missions and metrics across sectors with differing priorities?
- What models show promise for building sustainable, scalable Food as Medicine ecosystems?
- How can federal and state policy support cross-sector collaboration?
Revolutionizing Outcomes for Patients through Food as Medicine
Sunny Sharma, MD, FACP, DipACLM, CMD, RMO, Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, MDVIP Physician, Regional Medical Officer for Ascension Medical Group of Illinois
- How do we better integrate Food as Medicine into existing care pathways?
- What strategies support long-term patient adherence and engagement?
- What role does clinician education and buy-in play in outcomes?
- How can Food as Medicine programs better serve diverse populations with varied needs?
- What evidence do we have so far on clinical outcomes, and what is still needed?
- How do we design scalable programs that remain personalized and patient-centered?
3:25 pmNetworking Break & Afternoon Refreshments
BUILDING THE FOOD AS MEDICINE ECOSYSTEM
Fruitful Collaboration—Enhancing Health through Culinary Care
Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND, System Vice President, Food & Nutrition Services, CommonSpirit Health
Culinary medicine integrates nutrition science with cooking skills to empower individuals to manage and prevent chronic diseases through their food choices. This evidence-based field emphasizes healthy food preparation and selections to make nutritional changes sustainable and enjoyable. This presentation is full of tools and real-life examples of strategies for building collaboration in order to help elevate the dining experience for individuals and families while building healthier communities.
Developing a Vibrant Food as Medicine Network in Managed Care
Sarah E. Morrow, Program Director, Clinical and Community Programs, UPMC Health Plan
As the field of Food as Medicine continues to grow, MCO’s are engaging with FAM in the interconnected space of biomedical outcomes and health related social needs. Pennsylvania offers an exciting landscape to implement, evaluate, and grow FAM initiatives as a state with an approved 1115 waiver and existing funding mechanisms to support community-based efforts under Medicaid. This panel brings together partners within UPMC for You’s FAM network to illustrate the value of engaging local, statewide, and national partners to support Medicaid members through a constellation of Food as Medicine approaches. Produce prescriptions, food reclamation, and medically tailored meals will be highlighted, in addition to how to integrate these approaches into MCO care management processes, community settings, and clinical settings as appropriate.
5:15 pmClose of Conference
For more details on the conference, please contact:
Jason Green
Senior Conference Director
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Email: [email protected]
For sponsorship information, please contact:
Phillip Zakim-Yacouby
Senior Business Development Manager
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Phone: (+1) 781-247-1815
Email: [email protected]
