Becky Illingworth knows firsthand the struggles that some of her patients face. “I was a single mother. I worked full-time and when I went to social services for extra help, they turned me away because I made thirty-something dollars over their limit. Outside of social services, I wasn’t really aware of what resources were available to help me when I was going through my own hardships and struggles.”
An eleventh grade high school mother faced a similar challenge. She was connected with Becky at MedStar Harbor Hospital, where Becky is a community health advocate. The young mother and her newborn baby were still dependent on her parents. When her dad had to get emergency surgery, food was tight for the entire family.
They were screened for food insecurity at the hospital and qualified for the Harvest Rx program, a community partnership between MedStar Harbor and Hungry Harvest. Harvest Rx aims to deliver up to eight weeks of fresh fruit and produce to patients with food insecurities.
“If we treat a patient who is a diabetic and they go home without the ability to eat well, they’re going to end up back in the hospital,” Ryan Moran, director of community health for MedStar Health, says. “It goes beyond the eight-week program. Our community health advocates are working on long-term, sustainable solutions for our patients.”
“Harvest Rx lives at the crossroads of common sense and compassionate care,” Hungry Harvest director of Sales and Partnerships, Stacy Carroll, says. “The program helps patients achieve wellness and a healthy eating routine. It also helps local farmers better connect fresh food with people in need. It’s a win for the patient, for our farmers, and for a healthier Baltimore.”
Becky keeps in close touch with the patients she’s connected to Harvest Rx. “I touched base with the family a week or so later. They were so thrilled to have that extra food—and healthy food! In fact, everyone I follow up with has nothing but great things to say. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a gift to these patients. They’re used to eating them from cans.”
Becky became a community health advocate in 2018 after a long career as a nursing assistant. In addition to hospital initiatives like Harvest Rx, she helps patients sign up for government, private, and non-profit assistance programs. She’s come full circle by helping people who are in tough situations, like she once was. Only now, she’s much more knowledgeable about the many resources that are out there for patients who need it the most.
“It’s an incredibly rewarding experience helping people get back on their feet,” Becky says. “I love what I do, and I’m grateful to be in the position I am in now.”