UK HealthCare offers cooking videos tailored to chronic health conditions to patients; also available on YouTube
By Hillary Smith
University of Kentucky
UK HealthCare is revolutionizing patient education by bringing a series of cooking videos directly into hospital patient rooms that are aimed at supporting patients with chronic diet-sensitive conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
The videos, which are shown on the hospital’s Get Well Network, are also available on the Food As Health Alliance’s YouTube channel, making them available to everyone.
The videos provide easy-to-follow, medically tailored recipes and affordable solutions to help patients take control of their diets and improve their health outcomes.
Lindsay Turner, a UK HealthCare dietitian, emphasized the importance of making these resources available to patients.
“A common theme I hear from patients is, ‘I just don’t know where to start,’” she said. “There’s often a disconnect between a heart-healthy diet education and actually putting together a meal. These videos provide affordable recipes, and I’m excited about the impact they will have.”
The video series is the result of a collaboration between UK HealthCare, the Food As Health Alliance, housed in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and Kentucky’s pork and beef councils. The videos are designed to be short and engaging, mimicking the popular BuzzFeed “Tasty” videos with overhead shots, simple voiceovers and straightforward instructions.
“We wanted to do something a little more digestible,” said Lauren Batey, the program coordinator for the alliance and a registered dietitian. “We figured patients in a hospital setting aren’t going to sit through a 30-minute cooking show. So, we modeled the videos after a format that’s quick and easy to absorb, while still being informative and practical.”
Batey was tasked with the challenge of creating cooking videos for UK HealthCare patients to address common chronic conditions in Kentucky.
“I treat it like a game of ‘whack-a-mole,’” she joked. “I put all these restrictions on myself — ease, affordability, nutrition and access. I want people, even in rural areas, to be able to prepare these recipes, so I make sure the ingredients are available in local grocery stores.”
The series is comprehensive, with a total of 16 videos already created, including a mix of content for different audiences. While many focus on Kentucky’s “big four” diseases — diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease — there are also videos for children’s health and cancer nutrition.
The project was made possible thorough the collaborative effort across multiple areas of the University of Kentucky campus. Batey explained that with the help of UK HealthCare’s Healthy Kentucky Initiative, they’ve connected with health care providers like Dr. Larry Goldstein, chair of the UK College of Medicine Department of Neurology.
“Our goal is to empower stroke patients with the knowledge they need to make informed nutritional choices that can positively impact their recovery and long-term health when they leave our hospital. I wanted to collaborate with dietitians on this project because they bring an essential perspective to stroke recovery,” said Goldstein. “Their expertise allows us to tailor dietary advice to the specific needs of stroke patients, helping to reduce the risk of future strokes and improve overall well-being. By working together, we can provide a more holistic approach to care, ensuring that patients receive the support they need for a healthier recovery journey.”
This collaborative approach has also allowed for the expansion of the video library and diversified the content.
“I’m really eager to work with the Markey Cancer Center again now that this is up and running,” said Batey. “The potential to create videos specifically tailored to cancer patients will be incredibly valuable.”
While the video series is still in its early stages, Turner shared some of the positive feedback she has already received from patients.
“One patient told me they didn’t realize food without added salt could taste so good,” she said. “Another patient was just so excited to find cost-effective options because they struggle with food access at home.”
The plan is to continue expanding the video series. As the program continues to grow, the hope is that these videos will not only improve individual health outcomes but also address larger issues like food insecurity in Kentucky.
“We call it ‘Food As Health’ because we want to encompass the whole concept,” Batey explained. “We’re acknowledging the role nutrition plays in health, but we’re also addressing challenges to food access and affordability. We want this program to be part of a larger solution for our patients and the community.”
Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
