Exploring Farm-Based Healthcare: A Sustainable Approach to Wellness

At Cornerstone Healthcare Consulting and Management, we are always on the lookout for innovative practices that can improve health outcomes and support our rural communities. Recently, we’ve been following the work of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. One area of his focus that piqued our interest is sustainable farming and its potential to revolutionize healthcare.

Farm-based healthcare, as it’s being referred to, bridges agriculture and medicine in exciting ways. For us, located in a rural community where agriculture reigns as the top industry, this approach feels both relevant and promising. Imagine combining the strength of our community’s farming expertise with healthcare initiatives to create a stronger, healthier population.

What is Farm-Based Healthcare?

Farm-based healthcare is a concept centered on using local agriculture to improve health outcomes. It embraces practices such as sustainable farming, food as medicine, and community-driven agriculture — all tailored to enhance wellness while addressing food insecurity and promoting fresh, nutritious eating habits.

This approach isn’t just theoretical. Across the country, healthcare providers have already started incorporating agriculture into healthcare systems. Hospitals are planting on-site gardens to grow ingredients for healthy meals served to patients and staff. Clinics are prescribing fresh vegetables and fruits as part of treatment plans for chronic illnesses. Experts believe that integrating farming into healthcare systems can address nutrition gaps that often contribute to major health crises like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Innovators in Farm-Based Healthcare

Several trailblazing examples of farm-based healthcare inspire us further.

Hospital Gardens: Some hospitals have taken matters into their own hands—literally. They’ve built gardens on hospital grounds and started growing their own produce. Imagine eating a meal in a hospital cafeteria where the salad greens were picked just steps away. This not only ensures optimal freshness but also reduces reliance on long supply chains, benefiting the environment.
Farm Prescriptions for Health: There’s a physician in New Jersey pioneering the concept of “food as medicine.” They’re taking an innovative approach to chronic diseases by prescribing fresh vegetables and fruits instead of medications in certain cases. These prescriptions come with resources to help patients learn how to prepare nutritious, balanced meals.
Produce-Based Initiatives in Rural Areas: Farmers in rural communities across the nation are partnering with healthcare providers to host farmers’ markets at hospitals and clinics, giving patients access to fresh, local produce. These efforts help bridge the gap between sustainable farming and community health.

Why Farm-Based Healthcare Matters

The relationship between diet and health is undeniable. Sustainable agriculture provides an avenue to supply fresh, nutrient-rich food to those who need it most. For rural areas, where access to fresh produce is sometimes limited, integrating farm-based healthcare practices into hospitals, clinics, and community programs could improve both physical and mental health while fostering economic growth in agriculture.

Some compelling benefits include:

Improved Health Outcomes: Nutritious, whole foods grown locally can help lower the risk of chronic diseases and improve overall wellness.
Empowered Communities: Supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture boosts rural economies and strengthens community ties.
Environmental Sustainability: Food grown locally in sustainable ways reduces the carbon footprint of healthcare systems by cutting down on long-distance transportation.

How We’re Looking Toward the Future

At Cornerstone Healthcare Consulting and Management, we are truly inspired by these developments. With agriculture at the heart of our community, we see immense potential for adopting farm-based healthcare initiatives. Whether it’s by learning how hospitals can incorporate gardens into their operations or exploring creative ways to encourage food as medicine approaches, we are eager to be part of this movement.

We’re committed to exploring how we can contribute to this vision of healthier communities built on principles of sustainability, nutrition, and collaboration. Could hospitals in rural communities like ours lead the way in making farm-based healthcare a widespread reality? We certainly think so.

If you’re interested in joining us on this journey or learning more about this exciting concept, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can reimagine healthcare in a way that benefits everyone—from patients to farmers to healthcare providers alike.

Stay tuned for more discussions on how farm-based healthcare practices could shape the future of wellness. And remember, sometimes the road to better health starts right in the garden!

The benefits of IV hydration therapy are vast. To most people, it is a luxury to get intravenous fluids when feeling under the weather or after surgery. But at Vivify Hydration Lounge and Medispa in Batavia, NY vitamins provided intravenously can also be used to help prevent inflammation and dehydration in athletes, busy moms with toddlers running around their feet, patients with chronic illness in need of supplementation, or someone who just wants to look better and feel better!

Our recent Tune in Tuesday interview was with Michelle Maniace, owner of Vivify Hydration Lounge and Medispa. In the video below, she will tell you all about IV hydration therapy so you can decide for yourself if this is something that would benefit you or someone you know. In the video, she makes an interesting point regarding the benefit of receiving vitamins intravenously versus orally. She says that an issue with taking vitamins orally, is that when processed through the digestive system, your body is not always absorbing them, and therefore not receiving the intended benefits. However, with IV vitamins, they go directly into your bloodstream, allowing for 100% absorption.

When asked who the ideal candidate would be for IV Hydration therapy, Michelle said it could essentially be anyone, although she emphasized the significant benefits for patients with chronic conditions, as well as bariatric patients. She said patients with Cancer undergoing chemotherapy, benefit from intravenous vitamin C, among others. Additionally, she spoke about other infusions that can benefit patients with autoimmune disorders for example, such as one IV pack that assists in the detoxification of the liver.

IV therapy isn’t just for those who are sick though. It also benefits athletes, as well as those who are looking to improve the appearance of their skin through some biotin, and other intravenous vitamins. And, lest we forget…did you drink a little too much last night? No worries, Michelle has you covered with her hangover package.

Interested to learn more? Listen to the video below.

IV Hydration Therapy! All You Need to Know

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