PA Turns Grant into Lifeline for Food-Insecure Patients
Marlo Dombroff, MS, PA-C, knew something had to change when she realized some of her cancer patients at Stony Brook Medical Center faced an impossible choice.
Dombroff, who has practiced for more than 16 years in gynecologic oncology, noticed a significant increase in food insecurity and patients struggling to afford both medication and food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One patient admitted she stopped taking her nausea medication because her family couldn’t afford both medicine and food,” Dombroff said. “That moment really made me think there had to be a solution.”
Determined, Dombroff applied for the Kathy J. Pedersen Grant to Promote Equitable Care, a $5,000 seed grant from the nccPA Health Foundation. Despite never having applied for a grant before, Dombroff secured funding in 2022 to establish a hospital-based food pantry, reducing barriers and stigma for patients in need.
The project has exceeded expectations.