Mile Square Health Center

Mile Square Health Center will serve as the clinical partner and recruitment site for a groundbreaking study testing whether improved nutrition access can help adults manage high blood pressure and obesity.

The University of Illinois Chicago received nearly $3 million from the National Institutes of Health to launch FIM+DASH (Food is Medicine + Dietary Approaches to Support Hypertension), a 24-week program that will enroll 150 participants across four Mile Square locations: South Shore, Englewood, Auburn Gresham, and Main.

Led by Dr. Saria Lofton from UIC's College of Nursing, the randomized trial will test whether a comprehensive Food is Medicine intervention can improve blood pressure, diet quality, and weight outcomes compared to usual care.

Participants in the intervention group will receive 12 weeks of cooking classes (four in-person and eight via Zoom), home delivery of groceries aligned with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, nutrition and hypertension education, and study-provided monitoring devices including a digital blood pressure cuff, Fitbit, and scale. A 12-week maintenance phase will follow to support continued healthy eating habits.

Enrollment is expected to begin in March 2026 and continue through January 2029. The study aims to identify factors that could make the program sustainable and scalable in real-world Federally Qualified Health Center settings like Mile Square.

The research partnership reflects Mile Square's commitment to advancing innovative approaches to managing chronic conditions in the communities we serve.