Marian Medical Staff Deliver Produce to Pediatric Families

Source: Dignity Health

Members of Marian Regional Medical Center’s Medically Vulnerable Pediatric (MVP) Coordination Program have been busy filling an essential need in the local community with deliveries of fresh produce to families with at-risk children in Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria. Because these families have infants or children with special medical needs in the home, they are especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. MVP staff collaborated with Talley Family Farms, who have donated the fresh vegetables to provide for these families to assist with meeting basic needs.

“Our outreach to this medically vulnerable population is continuous, but because so many of these families care for high-risk children, we want to alleviate some of the burden on them during this critical time,” says MVP Program Manager, Susan Rasmussen. “Through our community partnerships, the Santa Barbara County Foodbank, and the generosity of Talley Family Farms, we are able to help reduce some of the difficulty of this pandemic and provide healthier and more positive outcomes for these families.”

The MVP program is free, and families can be referred to the program by their health care provider. Marian Regional Medical Center staff support these families at their homes, providing essential resources and care to ensure they thrive.