LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A $213 million push is reshaping health education in Kentucky by bringing nutrition education to medical students.
The University of Kentucky hosted a roundtable Tuesday focused on "Building Healthier Communities Together."
Dr. Samantha Brown-Parks, the regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, led the conversation.
Dr. Brown-Parks said when she was in medical school decades ago, nutrition was not part of the curriculum.
"It was almost impossible for me to have strict guidelines to tell my patients what to eat and how to be healthy. And there was no Google. So we really had to rely on the few dietitians that we had in house to teach us because it wasn't part of our curriculum. So I think it's really important for new med students to learn the basics before they graduate," Brown-Parks said.
The funding will help bring more nutrition education to medical students as part of a larger effort to improve long-term health outcomes.
The visit marks the first stop in a national university tour bringing federal and state health leaders together.
Leaders say conversations like this could shape how healthcare is taught for years to come.
