For the third consecutive year, State Sen. Steve Meredith has been honored for his work in Frankfort by the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA).
He was recognized as a Kentucky Hospital Association Legislative Champion at a ceremony on Friday at Breckinridge Health in Hardinsburg.
Meredith was also selected as a KHA Legislative Champion in 2024.
“The KHA award recognizes state legislators who have exhibited exemplary service to the hospitals of Kentucky and the patients they serve,” the organization said in a press release. “Meredith has long been one of Kentucky hospitals’ strongest allies in Frankfort, bringing a deep understanding of healthcare delivery and a steadfast commitment to policies that support hospitals, healthcare professionals and patients throughout the commonwealth.”
As chair of the Senate Health Services Committee and a former hospital chief executive officer, Meredith has “consistently served as a trusted voice on issues affecting hospitals and the communities they serve,” the KHA said.
His leadership has helped advance practical solutions to some of Kentucky’s most pressing healthcare challenges, according to the KHA, including workforce shortages, rural access to care and fairer relationships between hospitals and insurers.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from the Kentucky Hospital Association,” Meredith said. “Having spent much of my career in health care, I know the essential role our hospitals play in communities across the commonwealth. I appreciate the partnership of Kentucky’s hospitals and look forward to continuing our work to strengthen our health care system and improve access to quality care for all Kentuckians.”
Meredith, who was first elected to the Kentucky Senate in 2016 following his retirement after 30 years as CEO of the then-Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center in Leitchfield, “is known for his strong advocacy for healthcare, fiscal responsibility, and economic growth,” the KHA said when Meredith was honored with the KHA Award of Excellence in August 2025.
“For his outstanding leadership, trusted partnership and steadfast support of Kentucky’s hospitals and the patients they serve, Kentucky’s hospitals are proud to recognize Senator Stephen Meredith as a KHA Legislative Champion,” the KHA said.
Meredith’s 2026 healthcare-related initiatives
During the 2026 legislative session, Meredith, a Republican from Leitchfield, led on Senate Bill 137, legislation creating a provisional medical license pathway for qualified internationally trained physicians.
The measure is designed to help address Kentucky’s physician shortage by allowing experienced physicians who meet Kentucky’s standards to practice under a provisional license, particularly in medically underserved areas.
He also sponsored Senate Bill 12, which would allow Level IV verified trauma centers to use physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses, supervised by physicians, to help cover emergency departments.
The proposal would support rural hospitals seeking trauma designation and help strengthen access to emergency care in communities where staffing challenges can limit trauma network participation.
(Photo l-r: Breckinridge Health Chief Executive Officer Angel Portman, GOP state Sen. Stephen Meredith, KHA Senior Vice President of Policy & Government Relations Jim Musser)
