North Carolina Food is Medicine Coalition Launches with Inaugural Steering Committee
October 8, 2026
The North Carolina Food is Medicine Coalition (NC FIM Coalition) has officially launched, bringing together leaders across healthcare, food systems, community organizations, government, philanthropy, and Food is Medicine programs to strengthen and advance Food is Medicine across North Carolina.
Food is Medicine recognizes the important connection between access to nutritious, culturally relevant food and health, and encompasses approaches such as medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, healthy food programs, nutrition education, and other interventions that connect healthcare and food systems.
The NC FIM Coalition will serve as a statewide collaborative and backbone for the Food is Medicine field, creating opportunities for practitioners and partners to learn from one another, identify shared priorities, strengthen connections across sectors, and advance the infrastructure and policies needed to support Food is Medicine programs that help communities across the state thrive.
The Coalition is pleased to announce its inaugural Steering Committee, a diverse group of leaders selected to help guide the Coalition’s initial direction and priorities:
- Nicole Alston — Alamance County Health Department
- Victoria Boggiano, MD, MPH — North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians
- Henry Crews — Green Rural Redevelopment Organization
- Kelly Deal — Community Care of NC and FIM Program Participant
- Monica Douglas — Food is Medicine Participant
- Rashim Gupta — Whole Endo/MettaH and UnitedHealth Group
- Demetrius Hunter — The Peoples Market and Black Farmers Hub
- Elaine Jones — Atrium Health
- Margaret Leddy — Duke Medical Center
- Brenda Liliana Mendez — International Friendship Center
- Heidi Michels Blanck — Center for Nutrition & Health Impact, National TA & Evaluation Center for GusNIP NI and PPR; Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
- Deepak Palakshappa — Wake Forest University School of Medicine
- Matt Poindexter — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
- Sarah Ridout — Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear
- Richard Joyner — Conetoe Family Life Center
- Dru Zucchino — TRACTOR Food & Farms
- Cathy Wirth — Reinvestment Partners
The Steering Committee brings perspectives from healthcare, philanthropy, community-based organizations, food systems, policy, research, and lived experience. Together, members will help shape the Coalition’s priorities, strengthen connections across the field, and ensure that the Coalition’s work reflects the range of communities and organizations advancing Food is Medicine throughout North Carolina.
“Food is Medicine is at a pivotal moment in North Carolina. We know food can improve health; the work now is building the relationships, infrastructure, and financing that make those benefits accessible and sustainable in communities across the state. This Steering Committee brings together people who see different parts of that system and gives us the opportunity to build something none of us could build alone.”
The NC FIM Coalition is being developed with backbone support from DAISA Enterprises, Population Health Improvement Partners, and Caja Solidaria, and is currently funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation and Share Our Strength.
The Coalition will continue building its statewide network in the coming months, with opportunities for Food is Medicine practitioners, healthcare organizations, community-based organizations, farmers and food producers, policymakers, researchers, funders, participants, and other partners to engage in the Coalition’s work.
For more information, reach the NC Food is Medicine Coalition Backbone Team at hello@ncfoodismedicine.org.