The California Food is Medicine Coalition (CalFIMC) is a coalition of non-profit community-based medically tailored meal provider organizations serving people with chronic and other serious health conditions.
Established in 2017, CalFIMC members have 274 years of collective experience providing medically tailored and other nutrition programs for vulnerable populations in their communities and serve 16 counties.
Medically tailored meals from CalFIMC organizations are more than a meal. Meal or grocery interventions include person-centered medical nutrition therapy services provided by RDNs, delicious meals informed by nutrition guidelines as well as client feedback, meal delivery from friendly staff or volunteers, and coordination with health care and community services.
Coalition members are contracted with more than half of the Medi-Cal health plans (managed care plans) to provide medically tailored meals and/or medically tailored grocery interventions to people with qualifying health conditions and who meet health plan eligibility criteria. Contact your Medi-Cal Health plan for more information about offerings and eligibility for Medically Tailored Meals or Medically Tailored Groceries through CalAIM Community Supports.
CalFIMC VISION: A California where all people have access to appropriate nutrition services that address their medical needs
MISSION: To develop, refine and sustain intervention models where community-based medical nutrition services are an integral part of person-centered, cost-effective and high-quality health care in order to improve health for all.
Meet Executive Chef Adrian Barrow
Project Open Hand executive chef Adrian Barrow knows all about the healing power of food, both professionally and personally. Barrow, who had an extensive restaurant industry culinary career, began his tenure at Project Open Hand several years ago as both a client and a cook.
Faced with his own health challenges, Chef Adrian knows first hand that food is medicine. “Through Project Open Hand’s nutritious meals, and the love and support of my co-workers in the POH kitchen, I was able to regain excellent health and work my way up and find my true calling,” Barrow says.
"I adhere to the dietary restrictions and requirements with the guidance of our amazing dieticians. They don’t limit my creativity, but they keep me on the right nutritional path; it’s a great partnership."
