# Ky. medical schools join national initiative to provide nutrition education to future physicians **Published:** 2026-08-10T19:09:28.000Z **Source:** [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/10/ky-medical-schools-join-national-initiative-to-provide-nutrition-education-to-future-physicians/) **Republished from:** [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/10/ky-medical-schools-join-national-initiative-to-provide-nutrition-education-to-future-physicians/) (Authorized by publisher (with credit)) **Canonical:** https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/10/ky-medical-schools-join-national-initiative-to-provide-nutrition-education-to-future-physicians/ By Melissa Patrick, [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net) · August 10, 2026  **Kentucky Health News** Kentucky’s medical schools have committed to providing at least 40 hours of nutrition education or an equivalent competency, integrated throughout all four years of medical school as part of a **U.S. Department of Health and Human Services**Nutrition Education Initiative. This 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. The University of Kentucky College of Medicine made this commitment in March. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the commitments during a roundtable discussion with leaders at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine last week. “We cannot solve America’s chronic disease epidemic if doctors graduate without understanding how food shapes health,” Kennedy said in a Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus press release. “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 release notes that this federal recognition builds on the Kentucky General Assembly’s passage of Senate Joint Resolution 23, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, during the 2026 Regular Session, which declared Kentucky as a “Food is Medicine” state. “This announcement confirms what we’ve believed all along: nutrition belongs at the center of healthcare,” Frommeyer said in the release. “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.” 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. According to the release, this federal initiative now includes 76 medical schools across 36 states. ## Sources - [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/10/ky-medical-schools-join-national-initiative-to-provide-nutrition-education-to-future-physicians/)