Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google
Ky. (WAVE) – Kentucky is solidifying its position as a national leader at the nexus of healthcare and nutrition
Dare to Care Food Bank has partnered with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to fight food insecurity through targeted “prescription pantries” under the local “Food Is Medicine” program
Through the initiative, approximately 2,900 patients were screened for food insecurity during standard medical visits and subsequently connected to healthy groceries
“If your diet is better your health is better, and we want to contribute to that,” said Jackie Richardson, Director of Programs and Services for Dare to Care. “Our Rx pantries are one way that food is medicine, but also, our kitchen is trained. We have menus ready for different diagnoses to be able to partner with clinics and healthcare centers to provide the food.”
The program is showing strong, measurable clinical results. In Kentucky, participants reported a 7% improvement in food insecurity and a 9% improvement in nutrition security, meaning patients experienced significantly better access to healthy, fresh food
Currently, there are 32 prescription pantries operating as part of the broader network
Through a series of major milestones, ranging from a statewide legislative declaration to new curriculum requirements for every medical school in the Commonwealth, state and local leaders are proving that what is on your plate is as critical as what is in your medicine cabinet
In a historic federal milestone, Kentucky recently achieved full participation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Nutrition Education Initiative
This achievement comes on the heels of new commitments from the UofL School of Medicine, the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Eastern Kentucky University’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine
Beginning in the fall, every medical school in the Commonwealth will provide at least 40 hours of integrated nutrition education or equivalent competencies across all four years of medical study
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine paved the way in March as the state’s first participating school
“We cannot solve America’s chronic disease epidemic if doctors graduate without understanding how food shapes health,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a roundtable discussion at the University of Kentucky. “Kentucky’s medical schools are changing that.”
This educational shift directly builds on Senate Joint Resolution 23, sponsored by state Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and passed during the 2026 Regular Session
SJR 23 officially declared Kentucky a “Food Is Medicine” state, the first statewide resolution of its kind in the United States to formally align agriculture, healthcare, and education
“This is exactly the kind of momentum we hoped to create,” said Sen. Funke Frommeyer. “By bringing together agriculture, healthcare, and medical education, we’re creating a model that improves lives while supporting Kentucky farmers and local communities.”
The public also got a first-hand look at the statewide initiative during a live “Food Is Medicine” cooking demonstration at the Kentucky State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 22
Presented by the Kentucky Hospital Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the demonstration featured agricultural and hospital leaders preparing healthy dishes using locally grown ingredients
More than 60 Kentucky hospitals are already active in the initiative, integrating programs like farmers’ markets, produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals, and utilizing locally
State officials, including Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell, KHA Interim CEO Melanie Landrum, and Food Is Medicine Coordinator Morgan Bray, continue to advocate for the program’s dual benefit of combating chronic illness while boosting the state’s rural agricultural economy
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved
