What You Should Know:
– Pear Suite, a digital health company that empowers community health workers (CHWs), and Instacart, a grocery technology company, have announced a partnership to bring “food-as-medicine” solutions to communities across the country.
– The collaboration will enable thousands of CHWs to address food insecurity and increase access to fresh and healthy foods for Medicaid members.
Pear Suite Background
Pear Suite provides thousands of CHWs nationwide with an AI-powered platform to identify and address social determinants of health (SDoH) challenges, including food insecurity. Through Instacart Health, Instacart’s initiative to improve nutrition security, the company offers technology that helps communities access fresh and nutritious food from local, regional, and national grocers with the convenience of same-day delivery.
Pear Suite/Instacart Pilot Program & Outcomes
The collaboration builds on a six-month pilot program that engaged over 3,000 Medicaid members. In the pilot, CHWs integrated nutrition education, SNAP enrollment support, and online grocery and delivery services via Instacart and Instacart Health Fresh Funds into their outreach. Since the partnership launched earlier this year, Pear Suite has found that by addressing food insecurity, individuals are more likely to engage and discuss their needs with their CHW.
The pilot also revealed that one in five SNAP-eligible community members were not enrolled in SNAP, and 42% of clients reported that rising grocery costs and transportation barriers were significant obstacles. Among those with critical food access needs, more than 150 families received immediate support, resulting in an 86% engagement rate.
Community health workers are uniquely positioned to connect with and support those most vulnerable to food insecurity and related social challenges. Using Pear Suite’s AI-powered platform, CHWs identified that 25% of members required housing assistance, 21% reported behavioral health needs, and 17% requested additional food support beyond groceries.
“Community health workers are trusted advisors in their communities, helping people break down barriers and get the support they need to live healthier lives,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President and General Manager of Health at Instacart. “We’re building technology that supports this work by making it easier to connect people with fresh, nutritious food from trusted local grocers – quickly, simply, and at scale.”
