February 5, 2026
When Hartford Hospital was building its new Bone & Joint Institute (BJI), Courtland Lewis, MD, first suggested the installation of a farm on its rooftop. According to the retired Chief of Orthopedics at the BJI, “we simply ran out of time and money.”
“My wife Barbara and I had always been interested in self-efficacy; helping others to help themselves,” says Dr. Lewis, who currently serves on the Board for Hartford HealthCare’s Hartford Region. “Health equity was not something that was talked about when I went to medical school. It’s become a big issue forty years later. Many of the daily challenges patients face relate to access, including food insecurity.”
The idea of a rooftop farm came full circle in 2022 when Hartford Hospital launched Hartford HealthCare’s first Food4Health program and installed the first of two current rooftop hydroponic farms. The program is designed to address food insecurity and diet-related illnesses by increasing food-insecure patients’ access to nutritious foods and professional guidance on healthy food preparation and eating.
“I think Food4Health makes sense,” says Dr. Lewis. “A lot of data has been collected from community assessments, and we see there are many chronic diseases related to food insecurity. Recognizing healthy eating is important, within organized medicine and medical education, is a key component to addressing this.”
As a believer in the program, Dr. Lewis and his family made the generous decision to provide a major gift that would support Food4Health and honor his late wife, Barbara. The Lewis Family Food4Health Fund will benefit programmatic, educational, and clinical initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes.
“I hope more people will be able to get in, get their hands dirty, and learn how to eat better,” adds Dr. Lewis. “I had been thinking about demonstrating my support for a long time. The timing is right and I’m excited to be able to do it.”
“Hartford Hospital is grateful that Courtland Lewis, MD, continues to provide amazing leadership and generous commitment to our mission, colleagues, and patients following his distinguished career,” shared Lynn Rossini, VP of Philanthropy. “We are so pleased to honor him, Barbara, and the Lewis family for their philanthropic investment, which will enhance Food4Health and improve the health and well-being of hundreds of local patients and families benefiting from this innovative program.”
If you, your family, or organization is interested in supporting our mission, visit our Ways to Give webpage or contact a member of our Philanthropy Team.