Improving maternal and child health

HONOLULU — Kaiser Permanente has awarded Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii a $50,000 grant to support its Māna ‘ai Food Distribution Program. The program, run by HMHB and Lanakila Pacific, aims to improve Hawaii’s maternal, child, and family health by providing healthy meals and nutrition education to underserved mothers and families.

The grant will enable Lanakila Pacific to prepare 6,250 meals that will be delivered by HMHB to nearly 900 families. During visits, HMHB will also offer families assistance in enrolling in public programs supporting food security and health, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In addition to providing nutritionally complete meals, the Māna ‘ai program also assists new and expectant mothers in underserved communities by providing access to lactation consultants, program managers, nurse practitioners, midwives, and doulas, who are part of the HMHB network of support. For approximately 90% of HMHB's clients, Māna ‘ai is the first introduction to HMHB’s services.

“Good nutrition is key to maternal health and the health of keiki,” said Greg Christian, Hawaii market president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “We’re proud to support the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii and promote healthy pregnancies and safe early childhood development for families.”

In Hawaii, 136,190 people face hunger; of them, 50,180 are children. Studies show that people without consistent access to adequate food spend about 45% more money on medical care each year than people in food-secure households. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to addressing food insecurity in the communities it serves. Through its Food for Life program, it takes a comprehensive approach to transforming the economic, social, and policy environments connected to food so that people across the nation have access to and can afford healthy food. This grant is part of a larger portfolio of donations and partnerships the organization has taken on to find a sustainable end to hunger in America.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.