Cigna Group Foundation gives $250,000 to Hartford Hospital Food4Health to expand health equity access efforts

Hartford Hospital was awarded a generous $250,000 grant through The Cigna Group Health Equity Impact Fund by The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group to expand access to its innovative Food4Health program and reduce health disparities among underserved populations in the Hartford region.

Food4Health is a prescription-based program for low-income patients experiencing food insecurity and at risk of diet-related illnesses.

Participants visit the hospital’s Food4Health Clinic weekly to shop for nutritious foods and recipes at no cost and receive medical guidance on healthy eating and food preparation. The Clinic has served over 10,000 patient visits and distributed over 3 million pounds of food since 2022.

The Cigna Group Foundation’s investment will increase access and remove barriers to Food4Health participation by providing transportation assistance, shopping carts, and food delivery services to underserved patients. The program will also pilot two part-time community health workers charged with guiding Food4Health patients through transportation support, healthy lifestyle changes, and access to healthcare.

“Programs like Food4Health only work if people can access them,” said Ellie Polack, President, The Cigna Group Foundation. “For many patients, transportation is a major barrier. As a company headquartered here in Connecticut, we’re proud to support programs like this in our own community, helping more people get the food and guidance they need to improve their health.”

“Food4Health is changing what care can look like—bringing nutrition, clinical support, and guidance together in a way that truly meets patients where they are,” said Lynn B. Rossini, Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, Hartford HealthCare, and Vice President of Philanthropy at Hartford Hospital. “We’re grateful to The Cigna Group Foundation for this support, which allows us to reach more patients and build the kind of lasting change that our community needs.”