About the Initiative
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell has joined forces with the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) to develop a “Food is Medicine” initiative focusing on the power of food and its connection to healthier living.
Kentucky hospitals treat a population that is unhealthier and more vulnerable than other states, with fewer resources. The Commonwealth ranks fifth highest in poverty, second highest in the percent of adults reporting fair or poor health, fifth lowest in life expectancy, and has the sixth worst state health score.
The Food is Medicine initiative is bringing stakeholders across Kentucky together to focus on advancing better nutrition, a stronger local food infrastructure, and ultimately better health outcomes.
Food is Medicine event in Pikeville, Kentucky
Early Actions
- Hospitals have connected Medicaid patients who were identified as food insecure with resources to address their nutritional needs.
- Several hospitals have partnered with their local cooperative extension offices to host farmers markets onsite giving access to local, healthy food for patients, staff, and the community. The goal is to make this a permanent practice.
- Roundtables across the state have brought together hospitals, farmers, leaders in agriculture, and food purchasing and service companies. Several partnerships have been developed to begin the effort of using local, healthier food products on site.
- One hospital launched a hospital-branded burger made from lean Kentucky beef.
- Four hospitals are pursing “Kentucky Proud” status to become official vendors of Kentucky produced or grown products. They will receive grant funding to incorporate these products into their cafeterias and vending areas.
- KHA is compiling the best practices hospitals are already using in this space to share across the state.
- Goals for the year ahead include leveraging buying power to help more hospitals acquire local food and enhancing education efforts for patients and communities. This will include demonstrations of how to prepare and incorporate local, healthy foods into their daily lives.
- Efforts are underway with other stakeholders to track pilot programs like food box deliveries and their impact on patients.