WASHINGTON, D.C. – Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) recently participated in the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute’s FIMCON conference and Food is Medicine Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.

More than 800 healthcare leaders, insurers, researchers, policymakers, and community organizations attended the event, which served as a platform for discussion about the growing role of nutrition-based interventions in improving health outcomes and advancing value-based care.

ARH Vice President of Wellness, Nika Larian, PhD, participated in on the panel, “Integrating Food is Medicine into Clinical Care to Achieve Better Patient Outcomes.”

Dr. Larian said the session explored the ways through which healthcare organizations are implementing Food is Medicine programs, aligning nutrition interventions with value-based care, and improving patient outcomes through whole-person care.

She highlighted ARH’s growing Food is Medicine ecosystem, including produce prescription programs, Lifestyle Medicine services, food insecurity screening, community partnerships, and innovative care models designed to address the root causes of chronic disease, while also addressing barriers in rural Appalachia including transportation challenges, limited access to healthy food retailers, and affordability concerns.

“If we can do it in Appalachia, we can do it anywhere,” she told the panel.

Dr. Larian also emphasized that health is shaped far beyond the four walls of a clinic and that improving health outcomes requires addressing the conditions that influence health every day, including access to nutritious food.

The panel provided an opportunity to showcase how ARH is translating evidence into practice in one of the nation’s most underserved regions and demonstrated how rural healthcare systems can successfully integrate Food is Medicine into clinical care.

Food is Medicine Advocacy Day

Following the conference, ARH participated in the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute’s Food is Medicine Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, which brought together approximately 250 advocates from across the country to engage congressional offices on policies that support Food is Medicine interventions, nutrition security, and healthcare innovation.

Advocacy meetings focused on strengthening federal support for Food is Medicine programs and creating opportunities for healthcare systems to address food-related chronic disease through evidence-based interventions.

Dr. Larian said both events helped ARH in its efforts to elevate unique opportunities and challenges facing rural healthcare systems while sharing innovative approaches to addressing food insecurity and chronic disease in Appalachia.

She said participation in FIMCON and Advocacy Day reflects ARH’s growing role as a national leader in Food is Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine as well as its commitment to demonstrating how nutrition-focused healthcare can improve outcomes, reduce barriers to care, and create healthier communities.

“I was honored to represent ARH on a national stage and contribute to conversations about the future of Food is Medicine,” Dr. Larian said. “The conference reinforced that rural healthcare systems have an important voice in shaping these efforts, and I am grateful for the opportunity to highlight the work happening across eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia.”