In partnership with the City of Tampa, Tampa General Hospital is proud to now offer the TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy, which serves one of the most food insecure neighborhoods in the city and provides residents with access to nutritious fruits and vegetables, education on healthy nutrition along with support for chronically ill adults and children living in the area.
The TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy is a unique gathering place that will nourish the bodies and minds of residents in East Tampa. This initiative aims to increase community members' consumption of fruits and vegetables, increase household food security, reduce healthcare provider usage and associated costs, and reduce instances of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. The TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy provides a platform to fight food insecurity and educate current and future generations on the importance of healthy eating on their overall wellbeing.
The TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy offers access to nutritious foods for high-risk patients and community members. In partnership with the Feeding Tampa Bay Food Rx Program and the Tampa YMCA Veggie Van Produce Prescription Program, the TampaWell Food Pharmacy helps combat food insecurity in East Tampa by bringing nutrient-rich foods to food-insecure patients – free of charge. Like many lower-income neighborhoods in urban areas everywhere, East Tampa struggles with food sovereignty. Tampa General Hospital’s Specialty Center at Healthpark was chosen as the preferred location for the site for the TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy given the geographic location, socioeconomic demographics, and high food insecurity of the East Tampa neighborhood. The TGH Specialty Center at Healthpark offers diverse services including Primary Care, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, as well as 24 specialty clinics that support an underserved patient population with many nutrition-related chronic and acute illnesses.
TampaWell Community Garden
The TampaWell Community Garden is a one-acre teaching garden, adjacent to the Food Pharmacy, which provides hands-on nutrition education and brings fresh, seasonal produce to the East Tampa community. We believe that the combination of a provider prescription, healthy food access, and education and motivation to make changes will translate to valuable health improvements. Many residents in the Tampa Bay area face barriers when it comes to accessing resources for proper nutrition. Ensuring this access is critical to developing and maintaining healthy communities.
The goals of the TampaWell Community Garden include:
- Improving the health of the community
- Providing food security to vulnerable residents
- Community access to nutritious foods
- Providing educational and developmental opportunities
- Establishing a space for social change
- Supporting obese and chronically ill patients and residents, including adults and children
Please visit us at 5802 N. 30th Street, Tampa, FL 33610.
TampaWell Food Pharmacy
The TampaWell Food Pharmacy is a unique gathering place that nourishes the bodies and minds of residents in East Tampa. This initiative aims to increase community members' consumption of fruits and vegetables, increase household food security, reduce healthcare provider usage and associated costs, and reduce instances of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
In partnership with the Feeding Tampa Bay Food Rx Program and the Tampa YMCA Veggie Van Produce Prescription Program, the TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy aims to combat food insecurity by providing nutritious foods to eligible patients of Tampa General Hospital who need help accessing healthy foods, have a nutrition-related medical condition, and are referred by their medical provider.
TGH medical providers will screen patients at our clinics using the Hunger Vital Sign screen tool to identify those who are food insecure and have a nutrition-related chronic condition or disease. Patients will then receive a referral to visit the TampaWell Food Pharmacy and collect specific foods aimed to support their diagnosis. Patients will be scheduled to pick up food weekly for a period of up to 3 years, depending on their need and diagnosis.
The referral process reinforces the idea that food is medicine, helping to reduce the stigma that prevents some low-income families from applying for food assistance programs. Physicians will have the opportunity to refer patients into the Tampa YMCA’s evidence-based health initiatives, Diabetes Prevention Program or Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring, as appropriate, as well as to our community-based nutrition and healthy eating classes.
The TampaWell Food Pharmacy is next to the TGH Family Care Center Healthpark, located at 5802 N. 30th St, Tampa, FL 33610. Adjacent to the TampaWell Food Pharmacy is a 1-acre teaching garden which is used to provide hands-on nutrition education and bring fresh seasonal produce to the East Tampa community. We believe that the combination of a provider prescription, healthy food access, and education and motivation to make changes will translate to valuable health improvements.
