Health Equity and the Cancer Care Continuum in Kentucky: Access to Medically Supportive Food and Nutrition

Poor nutrition, exacerbated by food insecurity, is closely associated with health outcomes across the cancer care continuum, from prevention through survivorship. Health care providers and payers, including public health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, are increasingly seeking clinical and non-clinical opportunities to address food insecurity and malnutrition in patients to improve health outcomes and decrease health care costs.

Join us for a Web Forum on Wednesday, June 9 from 11-12:30 PM ET, where we will explore:

• How nutrition affects cancer;
• How policy reform can expand access to healthy food for everyone, including individuals who are at risk for and living with cancer;  
• The potential for medically supportive nutrition interventions to help someone tolerate and complete cancer treatment and thrive as a survivor.

Experts from Harvard Law School’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, the Ohio State College of Medicine, Humana, and the Community Farm Alliance of Kentucky will discuss what the research tells us about nutrition and cancer, national trends in food and health policy reform, and innovative programs in Kentucky that are increasing access to healthy food for underserved communities.

This work is made possible with the generous support of the Kentucky Cancer Consortium and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, as well as the forum co-sponsors: the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School, the Kentucky Cancer Consortium, and the Community Farm Alliance.

Speakers

• Kristian Wagner, MS, RD, LD, Health Policy Director, Kentucky Cancer Consortium
• Colleen Spees, PhD, MEd, RDN, LD, FAND, Associate Professor, Division of Medical Dietetics, Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Leslie Clements, Lead, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications, Humana
• Martin Richards, Executive Director, Community Farm Alliance

Moderator

• Sarah Downer, JD, Associate Director, Whole Person Care, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School