Catholic Health Partners with Island Harvest Food Bank and Congressman Andrew Garbarino to Open New Food is Medicine Site with Nutrition Pathways Program

Catholic Health announced today its partnership with Island Harvest Food Bank and Congressman Andrew Garbarino to open a new Island Harvest Food is Medicine Facility through its Nutrition Pathways Program, an initiative that partners with health centers across Long Island to address root causes of food insecurity. Residents on the south shore of Long Island who screen positive for food insecurity at a Catholic Health ambulatory location will be referred to the facility for access to healthy food and comprehensive nutrition education.

At the new facility—located at 24 East Main Street in Bay Shore—an in-house Island Harvest Food Bank Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) will provide intensive nutritional counseling for patients referred from Catholic Health. At the conclusion of each session, the RDN will help patients shop for healthy food from the on-site market stocked with items tailored to the preferences and specific health needs of the community. Patients will also be invited to participate in weekly cooking workshops and provided with kitchen tools to support home cooking. Referrals to additional resources, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program application assistance and information about additional local screenings and food assistance programs, are also available. 

“Food is medicine, and this new facility represents the next step in Catholic Health’s longstanding commitment to combatting food insecurity on Long Island,” said Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA, president and CEO of Catholic Health. “By providing access to healthy food and important nutrition information to those in need within their communities, we can create a healthier Long Island. We are deeply grateful to Island Harvest Food Bank and Congressman Garbarino for their partnership and contributions to this initiative.”

This is a special program funded by Congressman Garbarino, with this location serving as the newest Island Harvest Food Bank Nutrition Pathways site on Long Island.

“Island Harvest is incredibly grateful to Representative Andrew Garbarino for his support,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank. “Representative Garbarino has long understood the importance of nutrition counseling and the connection between what we eat, how it impacts our health and our medical outcomes. Thanks to his support, we have been and continue to provide innovative nutrition counseling services and support, along with delicious nutritious food, to patients at many health clinics across Long Island. This newest site in the Catholic Health system is designed to become our most ambitious program with such incredible support from Dr. O’Shaughnessy and Catholic Health. They are amazing partners with our Nutrition Pathways Program, and they are Long Island’s leaders in ‘Food is Medicine’ programming.”

Congressman Garbarino stated, “I am proud to have secured the federal grant that helped make this new facility possible, and I’m grateful to Catholic Health and Island Harvest for their leadership in turning that investment into real help for Long Island families. No one should have to choose between feeding their children and meeting other basic needs. Together, we are delivering practical, community-based solutions that provide healthy food and help families get back on their feet.”

Catholic Health offers a wide range of food security programs across Long Island, including distributing emergency food “to-go” bags at its six hospital emergency departments, Bishop McHugh Centers and select ambulatory locations to food insecure patients. Patients are referred to additional organizations and resources as needed.

For more information on services offered at Catholic Health, call (866) MY-LI-DOC or visit www.chsli.org.