Innovative Software Bridges Gap Between Food Pantries and Healthcare

Aristotle Mannan, a former community health worker in Boston, has created a new model of food pantry software that not only modernizes record-keeping but also connects pantry clients with healthcare services. His observations of inefficient pen-and-paper systems and missed opportunities for healthcare connections at food pantries inspired him to start bosWell a venture providing free web-based services to nonprofits.

Mannan recognized a significant disconnect between the health needs of food pantry visitors and their access to healthcare. He focused on creating bonds between food pantries and healthcare providers, targeting a significant population of Medicaid users who frequent food pantries.

His enterprise, bosWell, developed a model that facilitates these connections. When a client visits a food pantry near a healthcare site partnered with bosWell, they receive a text notification detailing available primary care services. This system provides opportunities for engagement with healthcare services that these individuals might otherwise overlook or lack access to.

bosWell currently collaborates with two managed healthcare providers and approximately 200 food pantries across 15 states. It sends healthcare-related text messages to consenting clients in real-time, aiming to maximize the brief window of opportunity when clients visit food pantries.

The company operates on a subscription-based model, charging healthcare systems fees based on the savings they gain by providing preventative care instead of more expensive emergency services. Ultimately, bosWell plans to share some of this revenue with the pantries.

Initial costs of offering the software free to pantries are covered by entities such as the National Science Foundation, the American Heart Association’s Social Impact Fund, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, and others.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic and skepticism about the feasibility of free software, bosWell is focused on expanding its network, confident in the value it brings to the table.