Highmark Foundation continues support with new $1 million grant to expand Food for Mountaineers program

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. – The Highmark Foundation today (Mar. 23) announced a $1 million grant to extend the Food for Mountaineers program, launched in 2024. Through this ongoing collaboration, WVU Medicine patients facing food insecurity will be provided with pre-funded debit cards to purchase nutritious food at Kroger, Food Lion, Walmart, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Dollar General.  

“This grant demonstrates our sustained commitment to improving whole-person health of West Virginians,” Jay Sheehy, president of Highmark West Virginia, said. “Highmark and WVU Medicine have a long-standing partnership focused on creating environments that support mental, physical, and social well-being and we are proud to continue building on those efforts with this new grant.”

Programs like Food for Mountaineers are critically important in West Virginia, where statistics highlight the urgent need. According to Feeding America and USDA data, one-in-six West Virginians face hunger, making the state the fourth hungriest in terms of food insecurity.  

Simultaneously, West Virginia faces the second-highest rate of diabetes diagnoses in the country, highlighting the critical link between access to nutritious food and overall health outcomes. 

“Health‑related social needs, including food insecurity and limited access to nutritious foods that support disease management, are significant drivers of overall health outcomes,” Sarah Patrick, WVU Medicine Population Health medical director, said. “We are thrilled to work with the Highmark Foundation and InComm Healthcare to expand access to nutritious food and advance food is medicine efforts, ensuring patients have the support they need to focus on improving their health.” 

This continued funding builds upon the proven success of the initial Food for Mountaineers program, which successfully impacted over 1,100 individuals. Demonstrating adaptability by expanding eligible items to include baby formula and adjusting policies to better align with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the program ensures more individuals have access to the support they need.

This evolution of Food for Mountaineers reflects a deepened understanding of community needs and a commitment to refining solutions for maximum impact. 

“Our ongoing support for Food for Mountaineers underscores the Highmark Foundation’s commitment to addressing health-related social needs in West Virginia,” Kenya T. Boswell, president of the Highmark Foundation and senior vice president of community affairs at Highmark Health, said. “We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with WVU Medicine and its Population Health Department, building on the initial success of this program to further advance food insecurity efforts and positively impact the lives of West Virginians.”

The program’s success is also driven by the innovative payment solutions provided by InComm Healthcare. 

“Improving nutrition starts with getting funds to the individuals who need it most, then enabling them to purchase healthy foods at conveniently located stores," Joe Donato, senior vice president and general manager at InComm Healthcare, said. "We are proud to deliver the technology and retail partnerships that help West Virginians receive and redeem the funds provided by the Food for Mountaineers program.”

With this renewed grant for Food for Mountaineers, the Highmark Foundation and WVU Medicine reaffirm their shared vision for a healthier West Virginia. By collaboratively addressing health disparities and empowering individuals, this partnership is building a stronger, more resilient community for generations to come.

To learn more about the Highmark Foundation, visit highmarkfoundation.org.

About the Highmark Foundation 

The Highmark Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, well-being, and quality of life for individuals who reside in the communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our mission by awarding high-impact grants to charitable organizations that implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health. Central to the Foundation’s mission is identifying and continuously reevaluating our region’s prevailing healthcare needs. By doing so, the Foundation remains at the forefront of those needs, well-equipped to pinpoint the issues that more urgently need support.   
 
We established two restricted funds in 2021, the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health and the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund, to further support the ongoing work of the Highmark Foundation.   

In 2023, we established the Highmark Bright Blue Futures Awards, an awards and recognition program to honor exceptional organizations demonstrating a measurable, lasting impact in community health through outcomes-based initiatives.

Visit highmarkfoundation.org for more information and follow the Highmark Foundation on LinkedIn. 

About WVU Medicine 

The West Virginia University Health System is West Virginia’s largest health system and the state’s largest employer with more than 3,400 licensed beds, 4,600 providers, 35,000 employees, and $7 billion in total operating revenues. The Health System is comprised of 25 hospitals – including J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, an 880-bed academic medical center, and the 150-bed WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia – and five institutes. To learn more, visit WVUMedicine.org. 

About Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia 

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia serves approximately 250,000 members through the company’s healthcare benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional members through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Virginia holds the largest share of the commercial market, and more West Virginians carry a Blue Cross Blue Shield card than any other insurance carrier in the state. Highmark West Virginia employs approximately 600 people and serves as a key economic driver in the state with its total economic impact reaching $352 million. 
 

About InComm Healthcare 

InComm Healthcare is the leader in innovative payment platforms and restricted-spend capabilities, serving more than 1,200-plus health and wellness plans and reaching over 10 million cardholders. The proprietary OTC Network currently consists of more than 77,000 retailer locations. With both online and mail-order options, members experience the convenience they expect. InComm’s Dual Network Benefit Card™ is revolutionizing supplemental benefits and incentives by allowing the flexibility to combine multiple benefits all on one card, including OTC products, healthy foods, wellness incentives, produce/meal delivery, dental/vision/hearing, and more. Health plans can leverage the Dual Network Benefit Card to close care gaps and drive member engagement by utilizing wellness rewards for members. InComm Benefits, a new division serving the employer market, elevates employee benefits in the area of Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Savings Account (FSA) services. InComm Benefits’ unique HSA and FSA solutions simplify expense management and encourage user engagement to drive higher adoption rates and satisfaction. Learn more at www.InCommHealthcare.com.  

 Media Inquiries:  
 Cathy McAlister, Highmark Health Director of Public Relations, [email protected] 

 Emily Mashore, Highmark Health Senior Public Relations Analyst,  [email protected] 

 Leigh Limerick, WVU Medicine Manager of Marketing and Communications, [email protected]