FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 7, 2026) — Kentucky has become the latest state in the nation to achieve full participation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Nutrition Education Initiative, marking another milestone in the Commonwealth’s leadership to improve health outcomes through nutrition.
The announcement follows commitments from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and Eastern Kentucky University’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine. Beginning this fall, every medical school in Kentucky will provide at least 40 hours of nutrition education or an equivalent competency, integrated throughout all four years of medical school.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the commitments during a roundtable discussion with leaders at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, which became Kentucky’s first participating medical school in March.
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“We cannot solve America’s chronic disease epidemic if doctors graduate without understanding how food shapes health,” said Kennedy. “Kentucky’s medical schools are changing that. By making nutrition a core part of medical education, they are preparing the next generation of physicians to prevent disease, treat its root causes, and help patients achieve lasting health.”
The federal recognition builds on the Kentucky General Assembly’s passage of Senate Joint Resolution 23 during the 2026 Regular Session. Sponsored by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, SJR 23 declared Kentucky a Food Is Medicine state, the first statewide resolution of its kind in the nation to align agriculture, healthcare and education around improving health through nutrition.
“This announcement confirms what we’ve believed all along: nutrition belongs at the center of healthcare,” Frommeyer said. “When future physicians understand the role food plays in preventing and treating chronic disease, patients benefit, families benefit and Kentucky benefits. The General Assembly’s Food Is Medicine initiative laid the groundwork for this kind of collaboration by recognizing that better health outcomes and stronger rural economies go hand in hand.”
The resolution was a direct result of recommendations developed by the Kentucky Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Task Force, which met during the 2025 Interim and examined ways to address chronic disease through evidence-based nutrition and stronger partnerships between agriculture and healthcare.
SJR 23 encourages collaboration among healthcare providers, agricultural producers, educators and private-sector partners to improve nutrition, strengthen workforce wellness and reduce chronic disease by addressing diet-related risk factors.
“This is exactly the kind of momentum we hoped to create,” Funke Frommeyer said. “Kentucky isn’t waiting for solutions, we’re helping shape them. By bringing together agriculture, healthcare and medical education, we’re creating a model that improves lives while supporting Kentucky farmers and local communities.”
The federal initiative now includes 76 medical schools across 36 states and is designed to better prepare future physicians to use nutrition as a tool for disease prevention and treatment.
Kentucky’s Food Is Medicine model has also received national attention, including recognition by the America First Policy Institute as an example of state leadership in nutrition policy and interest from neighboring states exploring similar approaches.
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Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, represents the 24th Senate District, including Bracken, Campbell, and Pendleton Counties and part of Kenton County. Frommeyer is the co-chair of the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee and the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary. She is a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees on Agriculture; Appropriations and Revenue; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Families and Children; and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. Frommeyer also serves on the Public Pension Oversight Board.
