April 2024: Center Representation
April 2024:
Center Representation
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“Growing PPR Programs in Rhode Island Summit
Project Manager for Produce Prescription Programs Elise Mitchell attended the Growing Produce Prescription Programs in Rhode Island Summit in Providence, Rhode Island, on February 28. Experts in produce prescriptions, community-based programs, healthcare, academia, policy and philanthropy came together to support the Rhode Island Food Policy Council in developing a statewide produce prescription program—the first in the U.S. Mitchell participated in a panel discussion that focused on framing produce prescriptions in the national “Food is Medicine “context.
Pictured above (left to right): Alison Tovar, associate professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences in the Brown University School of Public Health, Luisa Furstenberg-Beckman, produce prescription manager at DC Greens, Ronit Ridberg, research assistant professor at the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Daniel Schultz, senior program manager at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and Elise Mitchell, Center for Nutrition and Health Impact project manager for produce prescription programs.
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“2024 HER Grantee Meeting
Executive Director Amy Yaroch, Senior Research Scientist Betsy Anderson Steeves, Senior Research Scientist Allison Magness Nitto, Research Scientist Bailey Houghtaling and Postdoctoral Fellow Miguel Ángel López attended the 2024 Healthy Eating Research (HER) grantee meeting from March 6-8 in Denver, Colorado. Participants comprised of HER grantees and affiliated researchers, representatives from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), national partners and funders came together to identify actionable steps to improve food, nutrition and health equity policies, facilitate access to nutrition assistance programs, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, improve school meal participation and quality, and more. Yaroch serves as Chair of the National Advisory Committee for HER. Yaroch and Anderson Steeves attended a meeting led by the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) in which Yaroch lent her expertise as a scientific advisor for NOPREN. During a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)-focused session, Nitto gave a research presentation titled, From Policy to Reality: Assessment of the successes and challenges with WIC Cash Value Benefit changes in increasing child access to fruits and vegetables, which highlighted findings from a study funded by HER exploring how the policy changes in the WIC cash value benefit (CVB), or fruit and vegetable money, during the pandemic impacted WIC and child access to fruits and vegetables.Pictured above (left to right): Research Scientist Bailey Houghtaling, Executive Director Amy Yaroch, Senior Research Scientist Allison Magness Nitto, WIC Postdoctoral Fellow Miguel Ángel López, Senior Research Scientist Betsy Anderson Steeves and Program Consultant Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen at the 2024 HER Grantee Meeting.
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“Researcher Office Hours
As part of the HER 2024 Annual Grantee Meeting, Executive Director Amy Yaroch and Research Scientist Bailey Houghtaling held researcher office hours on March 8. Yaroch’s researcher office hours, Being Proactive in a Tough Funding Climate, presented an opportunity to discuss “outside of the box” funding opportunities, such as approaching non-traditional funders with public health nutrition topics that may be of interest for them to fund. Houghtaling’s researcher office hours, Using Implementation Science to Advance Nutrition Programs and Policies, provided an opportunity to discuss the application of implementation science theories, models and frameworks to critical nutrition program and policy issues.”
“SBM Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions
Executive Director Amy Yaroch, Senior Research Scientist Betsy Anderson Steeves, Adjunct Research Scientist Jennie Hill and Research Associate Emily Shaw attended the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s 45th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 13-16. This year’s theme, Moving Behavioral Science Upstream, focused on the multiple ways policies, institutions and upstream factors, such as systemic racism, discrimination and environmental justice, affect behavior and health, and emphasized the importance of developing multi-level intervention frameworks to address downstream conditions. During the Meet the SBM Fellows session, Yaroch co-led round-table discussions which provided attendees with tailored guidance on career development outside academia. Additionally, Yaroch served as a mentor for two poster sessions. Shaw gave a poster presentation titled, Midwestern Specialty Crop Impacts on Health and Nutrition: A Scoping Review Guided by the RE-AIM Framework which highlighted a scoping review that hopes to understand impacts of food access programs using locally distributed specialty crops in the Midwest. In addition to the SBM Annual Meeting, Anderson Steeves participated in the SBM Mid-Career Leadership Institute workshop as part of the 2024 cohort.
Pictured above: Research Associate Emily Shaw presenting Midwestern Specialty Crop Impacts on Health and Nutrition: A Scoping Review Guided by the RE-AIM Framework
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“Convening on Understanding, Measuring and Addressing Racism in the Food System
Executive Director Amy Yaroch was invited to participate in the Convening on Understanding, Measuring and Addressing Racism in the Food System convening in Chicago, Illinois, from March 19-21. Together with a diverse group of collaborators, this 3-day session aimed to explore the deeply rooted issues of racism and inequity within agriculture and food systems, and confront systemic barriers and power imbalances that perpetuate inequalities in food access, nutrition and economic, social and health outcomes. Through critical conversations, presentations and interactive panels, participants explored strategies for advocacy and policy reform to dismantle entrenched inequities and create a more just and equitable food system.”
“Virginia Food is Medicine Summit
Research Scientist Bailey Houghtaling attended the 2024 Virginia Food is Medicine Summit in Richmond, Virginia, from March 20-21. Organized by the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, this event brought together a diverse group of experts with the goal of accelerating the Food is Medicine movement in Virginia, including topics about overcoming barriers to connect communities and resources, collaborating to improve population health, leveraging health policy for sustainable solutions and more. Houghtaling presented on barriers and facilitators to food bank and healthcare implementation of Food is Medicine programs in a panel about the Intersection of Food is Medicine, Food Justice, and Food Systems.Pictured above (left to right): Bailey Houghtaling, Center for Nutrition and Health Impact research scientist, Meredith Ledlie Johnson, Policy, Systems and Environmental Change programming manager at the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Tom McDougall, founder and CEO of 4P Foods, and Tyrone Power Cherry III, founder of the Petersburg League of Urban Growers (P.L.U.G.) at the Virginia Food is Medicine Summit.
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“EBT Integration Working Group Kick-off Meeting
Senior Project Manager for Communication and Outreach Ruth Quattro and Project Manager for Produce Prescription Programs Elise Mitchell attended the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Integration Working Group Kick-off Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island, from March 21-23. This working group is geared toward individuals involved with the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and other practitioners who are already in active implementation of EBT integration—the process of incorporating nutrition incentive benefit distribution directly on EBT cards—or in active conversations with their state to pursue EBT integration. The overarching goal is to provide technical support for those in active implementation or in early discussions. Some topics the working group will focus on include future sustainability of EBT integration, negotiating with technology providers, standardization around program design and the future role of the nonprofit once a state takes over.”
“American Banker Payments Forum
Senior Project Managers for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Cara Cliburn Allen and Stephanie Porto, attended the American Banker Payments Forum in Hollywood, Florida, from March 27-28. The conference brought together experts in the banking industry to focus on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), an important component of the WIC Online Shopping expansion project. The biggest opportunities and barriers for growth in the world of Instant Payments and short- and long-term implications for the new FedNow Service were part of critical discussions. ”