United Regional Health Care System
Faced with high rates of food insecurity, significant food deserts, and elevated mortality from diabetes and heart disease, Wichita Falls needed a solution that addressed both nutrition and health care access. In response, United Regional Health Care System partnered with the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank to launch the Mobile Pantry Health Screenings Program – an initiative that brings preventive health services directly to neighborhoods most in need while providing affordable, nutritious food.
From left to right: Emily Payne (Director, Community Health), Darcy Claer, RN, BSN (Community Health Education Nurse), and Dori Dockery (Senior Director, Health Improvement).
Launched in 2019 and expanded over the years, the program subsidizes the cost of non-perishable food boxes at select mobile food pantry locations and pairs food access with free health screenings, education and care navigation. A registered nurse and patient advocate from United Regional provide blood pressure and blood glucose checks, influenza vaccines and personalized health education, while also connecting residents with primary care providers, medications and social services.
The initiative was born from United Regional’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, which confirmed that food insecurity, chronic disease and limited access to primary care were among Wichita County’s most pressing health issues. By bringing health care to where residents already gather for food assistance, the program meets immediate needs while addressing long-term health risks.
From 2022 to 2024, the Mobile Pantry Health Screenings Program reached more than 31,000 households with food support and identified over 2,500 individuals with high blood sugar or hypertension. Many have since been connected to follow-up care, including patients who have since received treatment for hypertension, help finding a primary care provider and assistance securing an affordable phone.
The program continues to grow, with United Regional covering nearly half of the pantry’s operational costs in 2024. By uniting nutrition access with preventive health care, the Mobile Pantry Health Screenings Program is building a healthier, more resilient Wichita County.
Please join us in congratulating United Regional Health Care System for being named THA’s 2025 Excellence in Community Service Award winner.
THA Excellence in Community Service Award
The Excellence in Community Service Award recognizes hospitals and health care systems that have distinguished themselves through contributions to their community.