AtlantiCare patients who need assistance with medical care and accessing healthy food can now make one stop for both.
Officials from AtlantiCare and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch, held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday for a year-round food pantry called Pantry at the Plex at the William L. Gormley AtlantiCare HealthPlex.
The pantry opened Dec. 14. It serves low-income patients receiving health care services from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays at the HealthPlex at 1401 Atlantic Ave.
A member of the AtlantiCare team, which can include a physician, nurse or social worker, evaluates patients for food insecurity and to see whether they need assistance through the food pantry. Food insecurity means not having reliable access to nutritious, affordable food.
The pantry also will provide nutrition-education resources and other health and wellness information, said Laura Engelmann, the AtlantiCare Community Health and Wellness manager who leads AtlantiCare’s Growing Green Initiative.