UK HealthCare has launched a statewide expansion of its “Food as Health” initiative, aiming to address chronic disease and food insecurity across Kentucky through a comprehensive, nutrition-centred care model.

The programme, led by the University of Kentucky’s academic health system, integrates medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions and nutrition counselling into patient care.

It is designed to support individuals managing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, where diet plays a critical role in treatment and long-term outcomes.

Health system leaders said the initiative reflects a growing body of evidence that access to nutritious food can significantly reduce hospital readmissions, improve medication adherence and enhance overall wellbeing.

By embedding food access within clinical care pathways, UK HealthCare seeks to treat diet not as an afterthought but as a core component of preventive and therapeutic medicine.

The expansion builds on pilot programmes that connected patients identified as food insecure with local farms, food banks and community partners.

Under the new statewide framework, eligible patients may receive structured food support alongside dietary education delivered by registered dietitians and clinical teams.

Kentucky faces some of the highest rates of diet-related illness in the United States, with rural communities disproportionately affected by limited access to fresh produce and affordable healthy options.

Officials involved in the initiative emphasised that improving food access can reduce long-term healthcare costs while strengthening community resilience.

The rollout is expected to involve collaboration with local non-profit organisations, agricultural networks and primary care providers across the state.

By scaling the programme beyond Lexington into regional facilities, UK HealthCare aims to embed nutrition-focused interventions more deeply within Kentucky’s healthcare landscape.

Healthcare leaders said the effort represents a shift toward addressing social determinants of health at scale, positioning food security as a foundational element of patient-centred care in the Commonwealth.