Senator Visits Hazard ARH to See “Food is Medicine” in Action

NEWS RELEASE - August 14, 2026

Senator Visits Hazard ARH to See "Food is Medicine" in Action

Hazard, KY - On August 13, 2026, Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center welcomed Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer, along with Hollie Harris, ARH President and CEO, and Rocky Massey, ARH Chief of Staff. They came to see how the hospital is helping people get healthy through food, wellness, and community programs.

"We were grateful to welcome Senator Funke Frommeyer to Hazard and share how ARH is building a broader wellness ecosystem that supports our patients, our employees and the communities we serve," commented Nika Larian, Vice President of Wellness for ARH. "From Lifestyle Medicine and chronic disease prevention to Food is Medicine, nutrition education, healthier hospital food, and partnerships with local farmers, our goal is to support health across the full continuum and make healthy choices more accessible throughout Appalachia."

Senator Funke Frommeyer was the Co-Chair of the KY MAHA Task Force and sponsor of the Senate Joint Resolution 23, declaring Kentucky a Food is Medicine state.

The visit began with a tour of Kentucky's first Lifestyle Medicine service line. Allie Davidson, APRN and Lifestyle Medicine Director, walked the group through how the program works and how patients use everyday habits like food and movement to feel better.

Next, the group toured the newly renovated Hazard ARH Cafeteria. The updated space now features local produce, healthier food stations, and local protein options. Visitors stopped by the smoothie bar to blend their own healthy treat.

While there, the group met with Sodexo, ARH's food service partner, to learn how the hospital is working toward CMS's Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge, a national effort to serve better food in hospitals.

A healthy lunch was served for staff and local community leaders. Nika Larian, Vice President of Wellness, shared an overview of ARH's Food is Medicine program, which helps both patients and hospital workers eat better and live healthier lives.

The tour continued into the hospital, followed by a walk through downtown Hazard. The group met with the Perry County Chamber of Commerce at Hazard Coffee Company and saw local landmarks, including The Grand.

The visit ended with a stop at the Perry County Farmers' Market to see fresh, local food grown in the community.

Senator Funke Frommeyer commented, "Today's tour of Hazard Appalachian Regional Healthcare Hospital gave us a firsthand look at what Food is Medicine really means in practical terms," said Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria. "From the hospital's newly renovated cafeteria, with more local produce, protein options and healthier stations, to Kentucky's first Lifestyle Medicine service line, we are seeing nutrition become an integral part of health care. We are preparing the next generation of physicians to make nutrition a central part of preventing disease and improving the health of their patients which means Kentuckians will lead healthier lives."

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About Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) traces its roots back to 1955, when the United Mine Workers of America opened the Miners Memorial Hospital system - a network of 10 hospitals dedicated to providing care throughout the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Seventy years later, ARH has grown into a 14-hospital not-for-profit health system that serves more than 500,000 residents of central Appalachia each year. ARH hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky, and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, ensure that residents, tucked away in even the most remote areas, can access the highest quality of care without traveling hours from home. ARH's hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas boast more than 6,700 employees with a network of more than 1,300 providers, making it the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.