The Open Health Care Clinic, located at 30789 Range Avenue, hosted a mobile pantry event for the local community on June 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Open Health Care is a 501(c)(3) non-profit primary care provider for all "medical, mental, and dental health" needs, as Chief Development Officer Kristy Mayes described. In 2025 alone, Open Health saw to the medical needs of over 15,000 patients across its locations, and that number is only growing.
As one of seven clinics in the greater Baton Rouge area, this clinic primarily provides adult and pediatric primary care, as well as mental health services for all ages.
The partnership between Open Health and Aetna Better Health of Louisiana began about five years ago with small community events and local outreach efforts that have since grown into wide-reaching initiatives, most recently the arrival of Aetna's mobile food pantries.
Through this partnership, Open Health hosted the pantry event, which showcased the combined efforts of Aetna and Goodr, a hunger and food waste solutions company. Backed by Aetna's $400,000 investment, free boxes of fresh produce and pantry staples were handed out to community members who had applied beforehand.
More than 102 individuals registered to participate in the food drive, with some attending their appointments at the Open Health clinic before picking up their allotment of pantry staples and fresh produce from the "Food Is Medicine" mobile pantry.
"Partnership equals progress," Aetna's on-scene representative noted. "This [event] is a testament to that."
The foods allocated for community members were specifically curated to support individuals managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Since 1 in 6 people in Louisiana face food insecurity, and the state has high rates of chronic illness, these conditions can be difficult to manage alone.
Aetna's statewide tour, which began in New Orleans and has since traveled to Denham Springs, uses these mobile food pantries as a first step in addressing food insecurity and supporting the journey toward chronic disease management.
"We came together to do something where we could bring what we have, and the services that we have, to the people," Aetna's representative explained. "Our whole goal is to meet people exactly where they are, and being intentional about it."
Within the next few weeks, Aetna is scheduled to bring its mobile pantry to four locations in Shreveport before moving on to Lafayette and Lake Charles, with more locations waiting to be scheduled.
"The need is so great," Sabrina Grantham, a physician assistant for family medicine at Open Health, added. "I wish [Aetna] could come every day."
Individuals who registered for the mobile pantry had the opportunity to have their blood pressure checked on-site, and Open Health employees were present to hand out informational packets and help patients schedule appointments.
Aetna also provided dozens of Chick-fil-A sandwiches for participating community members and workers, while Open Health hired an Italian ice stand to offer a sweet treat to those waiting in line, a welcome way to beat the summer heat.
