Food Oasis Program

Walgreens, Northwestern Medicine and Near North Health Service Corporation are partnering together to pilot the “Food Oasis” program, a pilot designed to encourage healthier food choices for patients coping with chronic illness, like diabetes.
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 600,000 Chicago residents live in food deserts -- neighborhoods that are either lacking or are too far away from conventional grocery stores.
 
Food Oasis will focus on approximately 3,000 diabetics who will be given “prescriptions” for healthy food. Patients will also receive recipes and educational reinforcement through healthy cooking demonstrations at the Komed Holman Health Center, which has a mock grocery store designed to replicate the grocery shopping experience.