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Plants for Human Health Institute 
PhytoMedicine
Plants for Human Health Institute

A Community Health Initiative

Our goal is to facilitate the dissemination of up-to-date research focused on plants and healthy nutrition to NC healthcare providers while improving the health of NC citizens.

All PhytoRx resources are available in English and Spanish.

A PhytoRx prescription pads enables providers to incorporate specific foods into patient treatment plans, beyond the overly general advice to “improve your diet.”

Major Objectives

  • Increase the knowledge of the medical provider about the phytochemicals (compounds in plant foods) that have shown evidence to improve various chronic diseases. Medical provider education will be provided by Cheri Granillo, through virtual or in-person training.
  • Promote sustained increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, particularly in low income areas, through produce distribution and education. Participant education materials will be provided at pick up location(s), through demonstration or tasting events, or provided virtually through short videos.
  • Improve public understanding of the importance of consumption and preparation of fruits and vegetables.
  • Provide staple fresh produce and follow up support for participants.
  • Increase access to nutrition research and NC Cooperative Extension services.

5 Parts of the PHytoRx equation

Provider Training

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Medical Practice

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Patient Education

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Produce “Pharmacy”

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Ongoing Support

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Case Study

In a trial program, PHHI Extension partnered with HealthReach Community Clinic, FeedNC and NC Cooperative Extension-Iredell County. This deployment of the program is just one example of how to support providers and participants; we recognize each community is different and may need to adjust the program and partnering organizations to fulfill the program objectives.

Medical providers at HealthReach (a free clinic for the uninsured) were trained by Cheri Granillo, FNP, in the latest research supporting lifestyle medicine, how to use the PhytoRx pad and how to enroll patients to participate.

Patients brought their PhytoRx to FeedNC, a local food distribution center on a certain day of the week to receive a free box of fresh produce.

At the same time they were given a kitchen tool (branded with PhytoRx) and a link to a short video produced by Iredell County Family and Consumer Science Extension agent, Andrea Sherrill, RD. (This was initially planned to be an in-person class/demonstration, but COVID-19 safety protocol prohibited in-person gatherings at the time of the trial.) Each week, Sherrill covered one of the Med Instead of Meds seven steps to health.

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Andrea Sherrill, RD, FCS agent, delivers Med Instead of Meds curriculum to PhytoRx participants through self-paced videos.

Participants were also given a cookbook with budget-friendly, healthy recipes that further demonstrated the ease of incorporating nutritious behavior changes that would support better health.

Community Partners

Building relationships with community partners is the suggested approach for the PhytoRx program. The partners in your area may be different than our example, but there are likely similar groups that can provide multi-pronged support to ensure program success. Consider these community partners:

  • Community health clinic
  • Food pantry
  • NC Cooperative Extension Service
  • Schools
  • Grocery stores or co-ops
  • Pre-professional or professional students

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