According to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, one in four Marion County residents are living with food insecurity, meaning they are not sure where their next meal will come from. IU Health providers have noticed those numbers climbing, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to an IU Health Foundation community impact grant, IU Health is now host to a nutrition hub at Methodist Hospital that will help bridge the food gap for local patients. “This program will work based on referrals through some of our key, identified clinics, especially for our pre surgical patients who have food insecurity and live in the 46202 zip code,” said Dr. Michele Saysana, IU Health Adult Academic Health Center’s chief medical officer. “Those patients will then be able to pre order meals on a mobile app that’s set up by Gleaners, and then be able to access the food lockers 24/7 here at Methodist.”