Food insecurity is more than a social issue—it’s a daily crisis for millions of Americans, especially in rural states like Oklahoma, where access to healthy food is often as much about infrastructure as economics. But a quiet transformation is underway. Across central and western Oklahoma, clinics, hospitals, and food banks are redefining how and where patients access nutritious food. At the heart of this movement is Keeley White, MPH, PMP, Director of Community Health Programs at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, who brings a deeply personal commitment and public health expertise to the fight against hunger.
In this interview, White shares how her team partners with medical providers to screen for food insecurity, overcome transportation and funding barriers, and ensure that every Oklahoman regardless of zip code can access not just calories, but health.
Oklahoma’s medical clinics are tackling food insecurity because they see first-hand how nutrition impacts patient outcomes. “Food insecurity isn’t just about missing meals. It’s about chronic health crises, expensive diets, and the stress that comes with illness,” says White. Her own experience battling childhood cancer made clear that “maintaining a healthy diet while going through treatment was a struggle—not just physically, but financially for my family.”
Clinics are motivated to act for several reasons:
By integrating food support into clinical care, Oklahoma clinics aim to break the cycle of poor health and poverty.
The primary barriers are geography, infrastructure, and community resources. As White notes, “Oklahoma is a very rural state… we cover 53 counties of central and Western Oklahoma, and so it’s really important to us that we really focus on equity.” Rural areas struggle with:
Urban clinics, while better resourced, face other issues: “In the urban areas, we deal with issues… like crime or general safety of some of our members,” White says, which can discourage patients from seeking food or healthcare.
No two communities are alike. White’s team tailors solutions, including:
These solutions require not only creativity but deep trust and collaboration with community members.
Clinics start by screening patients for food insecurity and then act quickly to provide resources. The Regional Food Bank’s model begins with direct partnerships:
This process ensures that food insecurity is not just identified but directly addressed—without burdening already overworked healthcare providers.
Partnerships vary depending on local context and resources. White explains, “Some of our healthcare partners do have their own foundation that they’re able to fund the program, but a lot don’t—federally qualified health centers, especially, free clinics, critical access hospitals are already struggling.”
To avoid adding financial stress, the Regional Food Bank aims to offer services at no cost to most partners. This is possible through:
Fiscal discipline is essential. As White puts it, “I am juggling many, many grants… and definitely have had to get really good at that and build those skills sometimes through, you know, learning the hard way.”
Customization is the rule, not the exception. White’s team relies on a network of Community Connections Managers who work “grassroots” in each county. Their job is to:
“Once you go to one food pantry, you’ve been to one food pantry,” White says. “They’re all very different… and have their own culture. We never want to go in and say it’s our way or the highway.”
Programs are built with communities, not for them. This collaborative approach ensures that solutions are sustainable and genuinely effective.
1. Do Your Homework: “Obviously do some landscape research… it’s so much better to not reinvent the wheel if you can avoid that at any cost,” White advises. Know what models exist and what’s already working.
2. Start Small and Learn: Pilot programs are essential. “We did a two-year pilot to start with, to really kind of figure that out… it’s a pilot so it’s a mess, and you have no idea what you’re doing at all.” Embrace imperfection and iterate.
3. Involve the Community: Talk to people who are managing similar programs, understand barriers, and ask local partners what will work best.
4. Expect Mistakes: Flexibility and a learning mindset are critical. “The most important thing to do is to learn. Remind your team that it’s not going to go perfect… bear with me, you know, as much as you can.”
5. Build Trust, Not Dependence: Respect the unique culture of each community and empower local leaders to take ownership.
Growth has been rapid. The Regional Food Bank’s Healthcare Partnership Program started as a pilot in 2016-2017 with a single clinic. Now, as White shares, “we went from just a few healthcare partners in 2019 to now we have 57 across central and western Oklahoma. That includes major hospitals, clinics, critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, free clinics, even some mobile clinics.”
These programs are associated with:
While quantifying direct health outcomes requires longer-term studies, the program’s reach and popularity are clear evidence of its value.
Healthcare executives and community leaders should recognize that food insecurity is a health crisis hiding in plain sight—and one that demands proactive, collaborative solutions. Oklahoma’s model demonstrates that with the right partnerships, data-driven screening, and community-driven design, medical clinics can do more than treat illness; they can prevent it at its roots.
Start by:
Keeley White puts it best: “Always happy to share anything we can do to expand the impact as far as we can. That’s the whole idea.” If you’re looking to move the needle on health, food is a powerful place to start.
