Skip to main content
Alt image text

From Pilot to Policy: Late-Breaking Updates on Food as Medicine and Medicaid Integration

Monday, October 13, 2025

-

Music City Center, Room 202

Proficiency: Intermediate knowledge/experience

Track: Policy & Advocacy

CPE: 1.5

Description

All eyes are on California as one of the leaders attempting to transition its Food as Medicine (FAM) pilot implementation to a permanent Medicaid benefit through state legislation. In 2021, California adopted a 5-year 1115/1915(b) waiver, known as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), to pilot non-traditional healthcare services, including FAM interventions, as services through the state’s Medicaid program, which serves approximately 15 million low-income Californians (2024, Department of Health Care Services). In 2024, the California Legislature passed AB 1975 with bi-partisan support, which would have transitioned FAM services to a permanent benefit, but the bill was ultimately vetoed due to state budget restraints. Advocates continue the work, running new legislation in 2025 off the momentum of AB1975.

The panel will discuss 1) national policy mechanisms available to advocates wanting to incorporate similar services into their Medicaid program, 2) strategies for policy implementation, and 3) distilled learnings from program implementers including a San-Francisco-based Federally Qualified Health Center operating multiple FAM interventions, noting improved clinic staff morale and patient health outcomes. Altogether, we are moving California and the nation towards more equitable patient care, one health system at a time.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify three policy mechanisms for incorporating FAM services into Medicaid and use this knowledge to advocate effectively for the inclusion of FAM interventions locally.
  • Discuss successful strategies for implementing state-level FAM policy into local healthcare systems by using actionable insights to navigate challenges and leverage opportunities.
  • Demonstrate impact of FAM interventions on patients and clinic staff and utilize this knowledge to advocate for FAM interventions across attendees’ health systems and states.

Performance Indicators

  • 2.4.1 Demonstrates, teaches or facilitates environmentally friendly and sustainable practices that support accessible and healthful food, water, and reduce waste and positively impact the health and well-being of individuals and populations.
  • 3.3.3 Identifies opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships with individuals or organizations with shared visions.
  • 4.2.6 Communicates with policy makers to inform and influence decisions that impact nutrition care and the advancement of the profession.

Speakers

  • Zoë Womack photo

    Zoë Womack

    Food Pharmacy Program Manager, Food as Medicine Collaborative

    Zoë Womack MPH, RDN (she/her) is a Food Pharmacy Program Manager at the Food as Medicine Collaborative (FAMC). Zoë oversees the implementation of FAMC’s direct service programming – Food Pharmacy – co-located at primary care clinics in the San Francisco Health Network. Overseeing the five Network Food Pharmacies across San Francisco, Zoë manages the day-to-day logistics of our food and community partnerships with clinics to ensure high-quality, community-based programming with patients. Additionally, Zoë participates on the policy team of FAMC partnering with Fullwell to advance Food as Medicine Interventions as a covered benefit through state legislation and policy implementation. She co-facilitates a statewide learning network, the California Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Knowledge Network to bring group technical assistance and peer learning to Community Based Organizations throughout the state. Zoë is a registered dietitian, and earned her Master’s in Public Health, in Community Health Sciences from UCLA. She has also earned a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and B.A. in Political Sciences from Pepperdine University Seaver College.
  • Erika Hanson photo

    Erika Hanson

    Clinical Instructor, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School

    Erika Hanson, JD is a Clinical Instructor at the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School, where her work focuses on whole-person care initiatives addressing the social determinants of health and reproductive justice. This work has included advising federal and state agencies, health care systems, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders regarding the legal pathways and policy implementation strategies for health care payment and delivery of health-related social needs services. Prior to joining Harvard, Erika was a Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society in New York City and a Georgetown Women’s Law & Public Policy Fellow and a Reproductive Rights & Health Legal Fellow at the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C.
  • Maria Gutierrez photo

    Maria Gutierrez

    Nutritionist, San Francisco Department of Public Health

    Maria has been a registered dietitian for 20 years, all of which she has dedicated to working in the outpatient community setting serving underserved communities. Prior to joining the Department of Public Health, she worked predominately in the non-profit sector as a dietitian and as a Diabetes Chronic Care and CPSP Coordinator. One aspecct of outpatient that she enjoys is providing education in group settings. She finds fulfillment in partnering with community organizations to join forces on nutrition interventions. In her role as a nutritionist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, she co-leads a food pharmacy where she gets to empower patients to manage their chronic conditions and provides them the resources to make those changes possible. In her spare time, she explores the San Francisco Bay, spends quality time with family and friends, and visits local farmers markets and community events.

Moderator

  • Christina Chai photo

    Christina Chai

    Primary Care Director of Nutrition, San Francisco Department of Public Health

    After obtaining her bachelors in Nutrition and Food Science at UC Berkeley, Christina completed her dietetic internship and masters at CSUN. With over a decade of experience as a registered dietitian nutritionist and seven years as a nutritionist with SFDPH, practice manager for one of the SFHN primary care clinics, Christina rejoined the outpatient nutrition team as the Primary Care Director of Nutrition. The Primary Care Nutrition team actively engages in a diverse range of initiatives, including, but not limited to: food pharmacies, chronic care model, specialty clinics, and personalized nutrition counseling.

Join the Academy

Members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics receive exciting benefits including complimentary continuing professional education opportunities, discounts on events and products in eatrightSTORE.org, invitations to exclusive members-only events and more!

Log in or join