Lincoln Medical Partners has teamed with MaineHealth and the Good Shepherd Food Bank to help reduce the number of people in Lincoln County who do not have enough to eat.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 16 percent of all Maine households, or roughly 200,000 people, do not have reliable access to a of affordable, nutritious food to meet their needs. This is known as food insecurity, and Maine has the ninth highest rate in the nation.

Lincoln Medical Partners is hoping to change that with a program that asks patients two simple questions during a primary care visit. If the answers reveal that a person is food insecure, the patient is connected with community resources. If the need is immediate, emergency food bags are distributed, in partnership with MaineHealth and Good Shepherd. These bags contain up to 10 pounds of low sodium food with a long shelf life. Items may include apple sauce, brown rice, rolled oats, shelf-stable milk, canned chicken or tuna, peanut butter, canned vegetables or soup.

“The food bags are designed as a short-term support that lasts a few days while patients are connected to other local resources,’’ said Lisa Bowers, Director of Lincoln Medical Partners primary care practices. “It is our hope that patients and families will get on a pathway to ease their hunger and that local food pantries and other sources can help sustain them.”

This program is not limited to Lincoln County – it’s happening across the state as an initiative of MaineHealth. This is year one of the effort, with MaineHealth funding the food bags. The goal is to make this program economically sustainable on the local level after one year.

At Lincoln Medical Partners, each of its four primary care locations has identified team members to champion this effort. Medical Assistant Ashley Deabler is leading the initiative in Waldoboro and said that the simple survey gets conversations started and begins the process of helping people navigate existing resources.

“In a community like ours, a lot of people are struggling, and we can be a great help by connecting them to many resources,” she said. “We’ve helped a lot of our patients.”

Good Shepherd is also available to help local practices find resources, and many of the champions work diligently to find other alternatives.

“A lot of times, people feel uncomfortable going to a food pantry. They don’t want to see people they know,’’ Deabler said. “We have to look at other alternatives, like a food pantry in another town. Some food pantries will arrange to meet someone before or after hours. We try to be creative.”

During the growing season, many of the LMP practices have raised-bed gardens that are tended by team members. In the summer, it is not uncommon to find freshly picked vegetables available to patients. In Waldoboro, some patients go out back to help themselves.

“This is the epitome of rural health,’’ Deabler said. “It’s the right thing to do. We feel good at the end of the day when we help people.”