The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Aug. 5 that Kentucky has become the latest state to achieve full participation in the Department’s Nutrition Education Initiative. All medical schools in Kentucky have now joined the initiative, including new 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, each participating school will provide at least 40 hours of nutrition education or a 40-hour competency equivalent integrated throughout all four years of medical school. Eastern Kentucky University’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine will implement this commitment once its program is established.
“We cannot solve America’s chronic disease epidemic if doctors graduate without understanding how food shapes health,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “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.”
Secretary Kennedy made these remarks during a roundtable discussion with leaders at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, which became Kentucky’s first participating medical school in March.
With these commitments from Kentucky institutions, there are now 76 medical schools across 36 states participating in the Nutrition Education Initiative. Eight national accrediting, assessing, and medical organizations have also committed to comprehensive reforms aimed at strengthening nutrition education throughout the continuum of medical training.