$400,000 investment expands access to food and nutrition education across the state
NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2026 / Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom
Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, a CVS Health company (NYSE:CVS), today announced a new collaboration with Goodr, a hunger and food waste solutions company, to address food insecurity and support chronic disease management across Louisiana.
One in six people face food insecurity in Louisiana. Through a $400,000 investment, Aetna will work with Goodr to bring a Food is Medicine Mobile Market and nutrition education program to Community Health Centers (CHCs) across nine regions.
The tour will kick off with a launch event at AbsoluteCare in New Orleans featuring a ribbon cutting for the mobile food market followed by tours and activities such as shopping demonstrations and interactive sessions led by health care professionals on diet, exercise and medication management.
After the launch, the mobile market will make additional stops, including:
Depaul Community Health Center - New Orleans
Open Health Care Clinic - Baton Rouge
Access Health - New Orleans, Bogalusa, Slidell
SWLA Center for Health Services - Lake Charles, Lafayette
David Raines Community Health Center - Shreveport
Primary Health Services Center - Monroe
At each stop, the mobile market will offer fresh produce, milk, eggs and pantry staples, in addition to nutrition lessons and cooking classes tailored to patients managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The initiative aims to improve access to healthy food - especially in rural areas - and support better health outcomes.
"Food insecurity continues to impact families across Louisiana and is closely linked to chronic conditions, which is why this issue is so important," said Bridget Galatas, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Louisiana. "By collaborating with trusted organizations like Goodr and local community health centers, we're meeting people where they are to provide nutritious food and additional resources to communities that need it most."
The mobile food market will operate in collaboration with the participating CHCs, which will identify and enroll patients receiving ongoing care for chronic conditions. To assess the program's impact on health outcomes, the centers will track participation and collect baseline and follow up data, including A1C (average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months) and fasting blood sugar levels.
"Through our everyday work in the community, we often see that access to healthy food is an unmet need for many individuals and families trying to manage chronic health conditions," said Ashanta Green, Executive, Market Director, AbsoluteCare New Orleans. "We are honored to host the ribbon cutting for the mobile food market and provide this much-needed resource to New Orleans residents to improve health outcomes."
"Working with Aetna Better Health of Louisiana enables us to expand access to nutritious food while supporting long-term health goals for communities across the state," said Jasmine Crowe-Houston, founder and CEO, Goodr. "This program goes beyond food distribution - it's about dignity, education and empowering individuals with the resources they need to manage their health."
Aetna Better Health of Louisiana is a Managed Care Organization serving more than 175,000 Medicaid members in 64 parishes. For more information, visit our website, https://www.aetnabetterhealth.com/louisiana.
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About Aetna Medicaid
Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC (Aetna Medicaid), a CVS Health company, has over 30 years of experience managing the care of Medicaid members, using innovative approaches and a local presence in each market to achieve both successful health care results and effective cost outcomes. Aetna Medicaid has expertise serving high-need Medicaid members, including those who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Currently, Aetna Medicaid owns and/or administers Medicaid managed health care plans under the names of Aetna Better Health and other affiliate names. Together, these plans serve members in 15 states, including Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. For more information, see www.aetnabetterhealth.com.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
Media contact
Monica Prinzing
Monica.Prinzing@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE: CVS Health
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/aetna-better-healthr-of-louisiana-collaborates-with-goodr-to-launch-m-1168544
