CCLCM Students Awarded Service Leadership Project Grant

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine students Adeline Chin (‘27), August Culbert (‘26), Eliot Haddad (‘27), Eran Maina (‘27), Kelsey Ouyang (‘26), Beti Sharew (’26), Blessing Udoh (‘27) and Eduardo Williams (‘27) have been recognized for their exceptional work in the field of healthcare by the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA).

Their groundbreaking project, titled “Food as Medicine: A Community-Centered, Industry to Hospital Approach to Bridging the Gap Between Food and Health for Underprivileged Patients,” earned the AΩA 2023 Medical Student Service Leadership Project Grant. This recognition acknowledges the group’s dedication and innovative approach to addressing the pressing issue of food insecurity and its impact on the health of communities that face the negative consequences of food deserts.

Through a partnership with Perfectly Imperfect Produce, the Food as Medicine team strives to create a transformative and holistic model that emphasizes the crucial role of nutrition in promoting better health outcomes for the community surrounding Cleveland Clinic. Working out of the Cleveland Clinic Langston Hughes Health Center, the team aims to provide healthy foods that will improve the health, including reducing the incidence of chronic disease, of patients that currently don’t have access to these foods.

Cleveland Clinic social workers can recommend current patients to participate in the project based on their social determinants of health and other criteria.

The grant, payable over three years ($5,000 the first year, $3,000 the second year and $1,000 the third year) will be used for two initiatives:

• Perfectly Imperfect Produce’s Real Food Remedy: During the first year, the RFR fund, which will have $4,000 allocated to it, will pay for food boxes delivered directly to recipients, delivery services and related support. During the second year, a $2,500 allocation will pay for food boxes. By that time, the team will have established community partnerships with local sponsors and non-governmental organizations that will help the program grow. By the third year, the remainder of the grant funds will pay for food boxes, and the strong connections within the community will help keep the program independent and able to reach more people.
• Patient transportation: During the first year, $1,000 will be allocated to assist patients who face transportation challenges by providing sponsored rideshare services to the Student-Run Health Clinic for appointments and follow up. In the second year, $500 will fund patient rides. By the third year, the team envisions that the program will be a mainstay in the community and that patient transportation costs will be borne by external support through their relationships with NGOs, Perfectly Imperfect Product and donors.

The team relied on the invaluable support and guidance from a group of esteemed faculty mentors: Chantel Wilcox, Director of Community Health and Partnerships at the Langston Hughes Center; Sonal Patil, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic; Cory Chevalier, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic; Monica Yepes-Rios, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic; and Bud Isaacson, MD, Executive Dean of Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. The faculty mentors dedicated their expertise and efforts to ensure the success of this project, and played crucial roles in helping the students secure the grant.

To ensure the continued impact of the Food as Medicine project, the team plans to train and pass on leadership roles to CCLCM underclassmen.

The students are enthusiastic that this innovative project, coupled with the ongoing support of mentors and the AΩA, will contribute to long-lasting positive change in addressing food insecurity and promoting better health outcomes for the Cleveland Clinic community.