TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A new approach to fighting hunger in the Tampa Bay area is focusing on something bigger than food alone: overall health.

Leaders at Feeding Tampa Bay unveiled their latest initiative during Wednesday’s Health and Hunger Summit, where hundreds gathered to learn how nutrition can serve as a bridge to better medical outcomes.

“Food insecurity is a health care crisis,” said President and CEO Thomas Mantz. “The neighbors that we serve are struggling with health care. They’re making really difficult choices between food and medicine.”

At the center of the initiative is a new neighborhood health clinic, created through a partnership with Suncoast Community Health Centers. The clinic will provide primary care services five days a week, with both walk-in visits and scheduled appointments available.

Organizers say the goal is simple: meet patients where they already are and connect them to a broader network of care. Once patients enter the system, they can access additional services including pharmacy support, X-rays, dental care and other medical resources.

Health leaders say the need is significant. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of people in the community lack consistent access to ongoing health care.

For patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, the program goes even further. Doctors will combine medical treatment with customized weekly meals designed by dietitians to support each patient’s condition and improve outcomes.

“So along with the medications that we as doctors are going to give to them, also the nutrition aspect of it, so they’re able to improve their health care,” said Dr. Subhakararao Medidi, MD., with Suncoast Community Health.

Leaders believe this personalized approach could help reduce hospital visits while improving long-term health across the region.

“The next step we’re taking is saying, how can we make a person even healthier?” Mantz said.

The new Suncoast Neighborhood Health Clinic is now officially open. More information about services and eligibility can be found on https://feedingtampabay.org/