LA County Food Rx Collaborative

Background

The Los Angeles County Departments of Public Health (DPH) and Health Services (DHS) established a learning collaborative in March 2021 to reduce diet-related chronic diseases by increasing access to healthy food at safety-net healthcare sites. Following a series of motions by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and with support from the CalFresh Healthy Living   program, the Los Angeles County Food Rx Collaborative (Food Rx Collaborative) was formed. The Food Rx Collaborative works to streamline food insecurity screening, facilitate referrals to local food resources, and coordinate onsite produce distributions. Its members include clinical social workers, community health workers, physicians, and public health nurses, representing five ambulatory care networks, four hospital-based centers, and seven wellness centers.

Partners

The Food Rx Collaborative is co-chaired by the Department of Public Health's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program and the Department of Health Services' Behavioral Health Integration Unit.

Food Rx is comprised of multi-sector partners including Department of Public Health Wellness Centers, Department of Health Services hospitals, Ambulatory Care Networks, outpatient centers, as well as community-based organizations that provide free, fresh produce to patients and the broader community.

Find a local food pantry near you that provides free fruits and vegetables, using Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's Food Pantry Locator .

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Wellness Centers

• Antelope Valley Wellness Community
• Curtis Tucker Public Health Center
• Hollywood-Wilshire Public Health Center
• Martin Luther King Jr., Center for Public Health
• Pomona Public Health Center
• Whittier Public Health Center
• Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center

Department of Health Services Health Centers

• Edward R. Roybal Comprehensive Health Center
• Habor-UCLA Medical Center
• H. Claude Hudson Comprehensive Health Center
• Hubert Humphrey Comprehensive Health Center
• LA General Medical Center
• Martin Luther King Jr., Outpatient Center
• Olive View- UCLA Medical Center
• Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
• San Fernando Health Center

Community Partners

• Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles- Seeds of Hope
• L.A. Care
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
• Social Justice Learning Institute
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Disparities Elimination through Coordinated Interventions to Prevent and Control Heart and Lung Disease Risk (DECIPHeR) research team

Awards

Productivity Quality Award – Traditional Plaque Award 2024

In 2024, the Quality and Productivity Commission awarded DPH Wellness Centers a Productivity Quality Award (PQA) for their partnership with the Food Rx Collaborative and CalFresh Healthy Living community partners in providing free produce to historically marginalized communities at health centers. The PQA recognizes departments and individuals for excellence in productivity and quality improvement. This project specifically received the Traditional Plaque Award, which honors commendable achievements in public service.