ABOUT THE INIATIVE ….

Healthy Food Registry Partnership between Centralus and the Ithaca Times

Opportunity Overview

eatlocal.com will be a real-time, interactive Local Food Registry that connects emergency food resources (/need: pantries, meal sites), local healthy food makers (/support: restaurants, farms, grocers), and surplus donors (/give: bakeries, institutions) on a single verified map.

Launching within the five county region around Ithaca, New York (Cayuga, Tioga, Steuben, Chemung and Schulyer)  through a partnership between Centralus Health and the Ithaca Times, eatlocal.com will address greater access to local food resources —a top social determinant of health—by enabling one-tap referrals, reducing waste, and increasing access to locally grown and produced food.

Hospitals and health systems are uniquely positioned to become Founding Partners of eatlocal.com. With IRS mandated Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) consistently identifying food insecurity as a priority, sponsorship of eatlocal.com enables partners to meet regulatory requirements, lower readmissions, and demonstrate measurable community benefit as health-equity leaders.

Strategic Alignment & Proven Impact

• Mission Fit: Food insecurity drives $77 billion in annual U.S. healthcare costs. Hospitals already screen patients (e.g., Hunger Vital Sign tool) yet lack a centralized, verified referral network—eatlocal.com fills this gap.
• Clinical & Financial ROI: Programs like FOOD (Food to Overcome Outcome Disparities) and on-site pantries (Boston Medical Center: 7K families/month; Northwell Health: 2M+ lbs redistributed) show reduced ED visits and improved outcomes for chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension, cancer).
• Data-Driven Accountability: Quarterly reports track meals redirected, patient referrals, 911 food-related calls reduced, and hospitalizations avoided—directly supporting IRS Form 990 community-benefit reporting.

Projected Outcomes & Precedents

With 22+ U.S. health systems already operating similar initiatives (Virtua Health mobile markets, Elevance Health $550K grants, Middlesboro ARH $5K pantry gifts), a single lead hospital sponsor can unlock new funding and sponsor commitments. Partnerships transform eatlocal.com into a healthcare-integrated hub, delivering tangible reductions in readmissions and hunger-related crises while positioning the sponsor as the region’s “Food as Medicine” champion.

Next Step: We are seeking Founding Partners willing to endorse development of a beta site for testing in the marketplace. Due to the long term relationship Centralus Health and its predecessor – Cayuga Health –  has had with the Ithaca Times, we brought the project to Centralus (Cayuga and Arnot Health) first. For more information, please contact Roy Allen – Director of Strategic Partnerships – Ithaca Times Roy@ithacatimes.com