(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Jefferson Hills, PA) Allegheny Health Network (AHN) recently announced a $50,000 charitable sponsorship from PNC Bank in support of the Healthy Food Center at AHN Jefferson Hospital to address food insecurity and improve health outcomes across Pittsburgh’s South Hills and the Mon Valley. The Healthy Food Center’s pantry space will now be known as the PNC Pantry in recognition of the investment. The support of PNC ensures that patients and families experiencing food insecurity have continued access to nutritious foods tailored to their medical and dietary needs. Since opening in September of 2020 as part of AHN’s Center for Inclusion Health, the Jefferson Hospital Healthy Food Center has served as a critical resource which connects health care and nutrition through AHN’s food-as-medicine approach. In addition to supporting food inventory, this investment comes at a time of growing access to Healthy Food Center services. AHN is also expanding referral pathways through Physician Partners of Western PA, which is a clinically integrated network (CIN) of physician practices affiliated with the health system that broadens the number of providers who can connect patients directly to nutrition support services. This expansion will significantly increase the reach of the healthy Food Center to enable more patients across the Jefferson region and surrounding communities to receive referrals and ongoing support. Since its opening, Jefferson’s Healthy Food Center has delivered measurable impact for patients and families facing food insecurity, which including providing nearly 122,000 meals. The center recorded 1,235 patient visits and provided over 29,000 meals while offering nutrition education, healthy cooking guidance, and connections to community resources in 2025 alone. AHN operates multiple Healthy Food Centers across Western Pennsylvania as part of the broader commitment that it has to addressing social determinants of health. Patients receive personalized nutrition guidance and groceries aligned with their health conditions through physician referrals, which helps to reduce barriers to care beyond the clinical setting.