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Practicum Highlight: Kerrie Verbeek, MPH ’26

Advancing Patient-Centered Care by Strengthening Food Insecurity Screening and Support for Oncology Patients

Through her Integrated Learning Experience (ILE), Kerrie Verbeek, an Online Hybrid MPH candidate at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, is working to address food insecurity in oncology care. In partnership with Healing Harvest, a food pantry based at the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Kerrie’s work focuses on improving how providers identify and support cancer patients facing barriers to accessing nutrition. 

Healing Harvest makes a substantial impact in supporting oncology patients and their families during treatment, yet inconsistent screening methods have historically made it difficult to fully identify individuals experiencing barriers to food access. Recognizing that food insecurity can worsen treatment side effects, compromise immune function, and ultimately impact patient outcomes, Kerrie designed a quality improvement initiative to strengthen screening and triage processes.

Drawing on data from 599 oncology patients enrolled in Healing Harvest services, Kerrie evaluated three commonly used screening tools alongside an internally developed, multidimensional instrument called APPLE CRISP (AC). Unlike traditional approaches, AC captures a broader range of factors, including clinical, psychosocial, and structural barriers, that influence food access.

Her findings demonstrate that a multidimensional screening can significantly improve detection. The AC tool identified 83.8% of patients as food insecure, substantially higher than the USDA Food Security Survey Module, the Hunger Vital Sign, and the Malnutrition Screening Tool. The results underscore that food insecurity among oncology patients is not solely driven by financial resources. Mental health challenges, treatment-related immune vulnerability, and logistical barriers all play a significant role, each affecting roughly half of patients screened.

This work is ongoing, with Kerrie continuing to refine the AC tool to further improve its sensitivity and applicability. Her long-term goal is to integrate this screening approach into routine practice at the Dartmouth Cancer Center, enabling earlier identification of patients in need and stronger connections to supportive resources like Healing Harvest.

Beyond the data, Kerrie emphasizes the deeply patient-centered nature of the work and the importance of community partnerships. Healing Harvest, led by a dedicated team including program manager Julia Boger-Hawkins and a group of committed volunteers, exemplifies the impact of collaborative, compassionate care. 

“Not only have I learned so much through my coursework at Dartmouth, but the experiential learning opportunities through the ILE and APE have allowed me to apply those lessons to patient-centered projects that are personally meaningful,” Kerrie shares. “These experiences have been especially impactful because of Dartmouth’s strong partnerships with community organizations, such as the wonderful team at Healing Harvest, as well as the support of incredible advisors and mentors. It’s this combination of exceptional academics and such a supportive community that makes Dartmouth so special.”
Written by: Mia Soucy

POSTED 4/3/2026 AT 11:19 AM IN #practicum #mph online #mph