Abbott and the National Association of Community Health Centers began enrolling the first community health centres in their Food for Health initiative on Wednesday, following the program's national launch on Tuesday. The certification effort aims to make nutritious food a standard part of clinical care for low-income patients.

The program pairs a certification framework with food-as-medicine screening and referral tools for community health centres across the United States. Abbott said the initiative targets patients managing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions linked to poor nutrition.

The National Association of Community Health Centers, which represents more than 1,400 organisations serving roughly 32 million patients, said participating clinics would screen for food insecurity and connect patients to nutrition resources. Abbott said it would provide training materials and clinical guidance to certified sites.

The expansion reflects momentum behind food-as-medicine models, which health systems and insurers have increasingly tested to cut chronic-disease costs. Researchers at the Food is Medicine Coalition have argued that clinical nutrition interventions reduce hospitalisations among vulnerable populations.

Health policy analysts cautioned that sustained funding and Medicaid reimbursement remain central to whether such programs endure. The NACHC said it expected additional centres to join the certification process in the coming months.