Strengthening a Regional Food System Through Partnership With Growing Places

UMass Memorial Health’s work to advance food equity is rooted in partnership — and one of the most important relationships in this work is with Growing Places, a North Central Massachusetts organization dedicated to improving food access, supporting local farmers and building a more equitable food system.

Across the region, Growing Places connects residents with fresh, locally grown food through mobile markets, home delivery programs and community-based partnerships. Their work spans more than two dozen communities...

Residents of Quebec, Canada, Marie-Claude Boucher and her husband, Brian McManus, have longstanding family ties to the Worcester area. Recently, Marie-Claude, as well as Brian’s mother, Ettie McManus, both turned to the expert physicians at UMass Memorial Medical Center after facing complex health challenges.

For more than a year, Marie-Claude struggled with severe back pain, numbness in her hands and feet, and a series of inconclusive diagnoses from local neurologists and specialists. As her symptoms worsened, Brian — who had previously received routine cardiac care at UMass Memorial Medical...