ROCK SPRINGS — The Memorial Hospital Foundation recently was awarded American Cancer Society funding for Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center to screen patients for food insecurities.

Addressing Food Insecurity in Cancer Care Learning Collaborative through the American Cancer Society will help increase the cancer center’s ability to screen cancer patients for food insecurity and/or refer and provide resources to meet that need, said Foundation Executive Director Kayla Mannikko. The cancer center team will learn from subject matter experts in food security, as well as from the experiences and interaction of others in the collaborative.

“We are excited about this opportunity to learn and provide more resources to our patients,” Tasha Harris, Radiation Oncology Director said.

Food insecurity poses unique challenges for individuals with cancer and survivors, as they may have specific nutritional needs and are vulnerable to the adverse effects of inadequate nutrition, according to the American Cancer Society. Food insecurity can make it difficult for patients to adhere to their treatment plans, which can result in poorer outcomes.

The practice of oncology emphasizes whole-patient care, the reduction of disparities, and improvement in outcomes, and are dependent on being able to identify and address food insecurity, the ACS said. Once food insecurity is identified as an issue, busy care teams are often challenged by: (1) the ability to create programs to internally address this need; and/or (2) a lack of awareness of, or partnership with, community-based organizations who can help support their cancer patients.

Harris said the cancer center team looks forward to working with the ACS in applying evidence-based practices, collective problem-solving, information sharing, and peer learning. 

Learning objectives and topics include:

• Sharing resources available to help institute routine screening of patients, including validated screening tools and intervening when needed.
• Creating sustainable access to food resources within the community such as creating a pantry, and/or navigating SNAP, WIC and other benefits.
• Learning the importance of partnerships to help address the food needs of cancer patients, and how to establish those partnerships.
• Assessing readiness for implementation and learning how to move forward on that path.
• Learning from the experience of others in the collaborative.