{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T21:48:38Z","timestamp":1780609718469,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]],"date-time":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748476800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100005001","name":"California Department of Health Care Services","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["21-10317"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21-10317"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100005001","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"UCLA\/UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network","award":["21-10317"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21-10317"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This study aims to fill gaps in the existing literature through a qualitative evaluation of stakeholders involved in Food Is Medicine (FIM) programs. The primary objective was to examine the structural components, implementation process, and perceived impact of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Venice Family Clinic (VFC) Emergency Prepared Meal Program (UCLA-VFC Food Program), developed as a collaboration between a university and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) during a period of community crisis. A secondary objective was to compare this program with three other FIM initiatives, identifying convergences and divergences in design and effectiveness. Methods: The methodology involved semi-structured interviews conducted with stakeholders across all four programs. Participants were recruited based on their direct involvement with program ideation, design, or implementation. Interviews were conducted online between July and September 2022, with 11 stakeholders. A thematic analysis was applied to the transcribed responses using an inductive thematic analysis. Results: Key findings highlighted four recurrent themes: (1) the critical role of leadership and a collaborative culture; (2) the importance of community partnerships and health education; (3) challenges related to logistics, funding, and sustainability; and (4) the need for assessment and evaluation. These findings provide valuable insight into the design of future FIM interventions, particularly those embedded in healthcare settings. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study offers preliminary evidence supporting the unique potential of university\u2013community partnerships to address food insecurity. Unlike previous research that emphasized clinical outcomes, our findings provide a contextualized understanding of programmatic implementation. While further quantitative evaluation is necessary, this work lays the groundwork for a collaborative model between various entities including universities, healthcare systems, clinics, and community health\/food services aimed at addressing social determinants of health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17111856","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]],"date-time":"2025-05-29T06:25:04Z","timestamp":1748499904000},"page":"1856","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["A Qualitative Study of Collaborative Food Programs: Insights from a FQHC\u2013University Partnership During COVID-19"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Miranda","family":"Kim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5264-2107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christine K.","family":"Thang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lauren","family":"Imai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marius","family":"Corwin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0333-8632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mopelola A.","family":"Adeyemo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine","family":"Imbery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7568-2785","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shanika","family":"Boyce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6399-5370","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cambria L.","family":"Garell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3831-2192","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wendelin M.","family":"Slusser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"},{"name":"Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alma D.","family":"Guerrero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1830","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2015.0645","article-title":"Food insecurity and health outcomes","volume":"34","author":"Gundersen","year":"2015","journal-title":"Health Aff."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (2025, February 07). Definitions of Food Security, Available online: https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/food-nutrition-assistance\/food-security-in-the-u-s\/definitions-of-food-security\/."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (2024, May 21). Food Security in the U.S.: Key Statistics & Graphics, Available online: https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/food-nutrition-assistance\/food-security-in-the-u-s\/key-statistics-graphics\/."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (2025, April 14). 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Med. Rep."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"843","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2023.12.023","article-title":"\u201cFood Is Medicine\u201d strategies for nutrition security and cardiometabolic health equity: JACC State-of-the-Art Review","volume":"83","author":"Mozaffarian","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Cardiol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e009520","DOI":"10.1161\/CIRCOUTCOMES.122.009520","article-title":"Impact of produce prescriptions on diet, food security, and cardiometabolic health outcomes: A multisite evaluation of 9 produce prescription programs in the United States","volume":"16","author":"Hager","year":"2023","journal-title":"Circ. Cardiovasc. Qual. Outcomes"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gilleran, M.M., Koosis, A.O., Hill, A.B., and Beavers, A.W. (2023). A Qualitative Examination of the Detroit Community Food Response to COVID-19. 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