Helping to Raise Health Equity in Suffolk County

From the Hudson Valley to the tip of Long Island the Healthfirst service area is replete with vibrant and diverse communities. By hiring from and establishing a physical presence in such communities, Healthfirst teams are able to develop a hyper-local cultural competency that lets us uncover and help address unique circumstances that affect our members’ quality of life.

This local presence and knowledge help direct our collaborative efforts with local organizations based on evaluations of social determinants of health (SDOH). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines SDOH as “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” One social determinant of health that persists across our New York communities is food insecurity and lack of access to nutritious foods. This lack of access raises the risk of health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity—and even lowers life expectancy relative to people who do have access to healthy foods.

When Healthfirst expanded its service area into Suffolk County, Long Island, we sought to collaborate with local organizations that have a direct impact on the quality of life of our members and the Suffolk communities we serve as a whole. Chief among those quality-of-life improvement goals was to address food insecurity. Recent studies from Feeding America underscore the importance of taking action in our Long Island communities:

• One in four adults on Long Island faces food insecurity
• Approximately 230,000 people on Long Island suffer from food insecurity, including 68,000 children
• 41% of food insecure people in Suffolk County are ineligible for nutrition assistance programs
• Approximately 70 percent of those who are hungry on Long Island are from minority populations that face education, language, and employment barriers
• Food banks are by far the single most important source of food for agencies with emergency food providers, accounting for 69% of the food distributed by pantries, 39% of the food distributed by kitchens, and 45% of the food distributed by shelters

Source: Feeding America

To help address food insecurity and other social determinants of health in Suffolk County, Healthfirst began to work with Pronto of Long Island in 2019. Pronto’s mission aligns closely with Healthfirst’s values—their community presence, trust, and access provided a perfect opportunity to help Suffolk County Long Islanders live happier and healthier lives.

Pronto's mission is to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, welcome the stranger and provide healing and hope to everyone who walks through our doors.

Pronto is a trusted resource and safety net for the communities we serve in Suffolk County by supporting the health, wellbeing, and professional development of individuals and families. Among the services they provide are:

• Food Pantry – provides groceries to well over 100 families a day, six days a week. Our food pantry served more than 800 families last month, and more than 80,000 individuals in 2023.
• Weekend Food for Students – Food bags and flyers are distributed to more than 220 students twice monthly in 10 schools. These students have been identified as food insecure and in need of extra supports.
• Thrift Center – Individuals and families receive new and gently used clothing, bedding, shoes, and personal care items through our thrift center voucher services.
• English Classes – Up to 20 students enroll in two levels of ESL classes given on Saturdays in partnership with the Brentwood School District. Approximately 90 students receive English Conversation classes during the week: two daytime classes and one evening class each week. Citizenship sessions are five weeks long, with up to 20 students per class. Computer classes and various workshops are scheduled monthly, with an average participation of 20 attendees.
• Immunizations for uninsured children – conducted three Wednesdays each month.
• Food Stamp assistance – DSS provides on-site assistance with eligibility applications. Weekly assistance given to between eight and 14 clients.
• Senior Services – In 2023, more than 7,000 seniors received pantry services. One hundred seniors received special home-delivery services of food and personal-care items. Forty-five seniors attended weekly Senior Social activities during April to November. This program provides seniors with a light breakfast, lunch, health and wellness information, and special presentations and resources from partnering agencies.
• Wraparound Workforce services – 400 clients receive resumes, one-on-one consulting on job search activities, and placement assistance.
• Summer Program for kids – 60 at-risk children from low-income households receive three weeks of summer camp activities, including breakfast, lunch, and weekly field trips.

On March 3, Pronto and Healthfirst partnered on the 2nd Annual Community Resource Event.

Gala Foods supermarket graciously joined Healthfirst and Pronto, providing the event with space in the parking lot of their Brentwood, Long Island location.

While Pronto gave away items such as blankets, coats, and shoes, Liga de Justicia joined the event to donate toiletries and secure healthy meals from Caroll’s Kitchen. Carroll’s Kitchen is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to address food insecurity and nutrition on Long Island by preparing nutritious meals for the elderly, veterans, and families in need.

More than 700 community members attended the Community Resource Event with Pronto. They were provided with resources, health screenings, lunch, dancing, and even singing!

Initiatives like the annual Community Resource Event are just the beginning of our work with Pronto in 2024 to address SDOH, such as food insecurity, on Long Island.

Healthfirst provides access to care at several locations in Suffolk County, including:

• Healthfirst Patchogue Community Office, 99 W. Main St., Patchogue, NY 11772
• Smith Haven Mall Kiosk, 313 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, NY 11755
• Westfield South Shore Mall Kiosk, 1701 Sunrise Parkway, Bay Shore, NY 11706

Healthfirst’s partnership with Pronto is a joint effort to bring to Suffolk County the resources that communities located there need. Whether through addressing food insecurity, teaching ESL courses, or providing health education, our mission is to work as a single entity to strengthen the community and improve its health. Healthfirst has health plans available for all in Suffolk County, and we are proud to serve alongside Pronto. We look forward to years of continued success partnering with Pronto and addressing the needs of our communities.

About the Author

Ricky Pafundi is Vice President, Retention and Customer Loyalty at Healthfirst.