FORT CARSON, Colo.  –   Evans Army Community Hospital, as part of its health equity efforts in partnership with state and local resources, now offers food insecurity screening for primary care patients to help ensure the health and readiness of everyone in the military community.

Addressing food insecurity is a Department of Defense priority and is considered a social determinant of health or a health-related social need, just like housing and transportation access.

“Food insecurity has the potential to impact personal and family disease risk, wellness and achievement of health goals,” said Jessica Burns, a population health nurse supervisor in the hospital’s quality and safety division.

More than 25% of active-duty members are considered to be food insecure, which means they skip or reduce meals or go hungry rather than eating, according to a 2023 study by the Rand Corporation.

“Other research has demonstrated that food insecurity exists in our military community ,” Burns said. “And food insecurity is typically highest among those living on military installations.”

Burns says that service members experiencing food insecurity are less likely to stay on active duty, receive less support to stay in the military from their spouse or significant other, and often exhibit decreased levels of personal and unit readiness.

As a result, hospital population health staff took on the challenge of documenting food insecurities and offering resources for beneficiaries who need them.

“Our #1 goal is to help those who are experiencing food insecurity by first identifying a need for assistance, and then helping them access resources that can help them,” Burns said. “As we learn more details about who needs assistance the most, the types of assistance that is most helpful, etc., we will tailor the support we provide to best meet the needs of our beneficiary population.”

For those who are struggling with food insecurity issues, there are a variety of federal, state and local resources available. More information is available on the EACH Population Health website at: https://evans.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Population-Health-Management.