Secretary Kennedy Brings ‘Take Back Your Health Tour’ to Texas and Florida to Advance Prevention and Improve Patient Care

WASHINGTON, D.C.-OCTOBER 26, 2026-U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. brought his "Take Back Your Health Tour" to Texas and Florida last week to advance President Trump's Make America Healthy Again agenda. Across four days, Secretary Kennedy announced new actions on kidney disease and dementia, promoted stronger nutrition education for future doctors, and worked to expand access to women's healthcare.

From Tuesday through Friday, Secretary Kennedy met with healthcare providers, patient advocates, medical educators, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in Fort Worth, Texas, and Orange Park, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, Florida. At each stop, he advanced concrete actions to prevent chronic disease, improve patient care, and give Americans more information and choices to protect their health.

"President Trump has directed us to confront chronic disease and put patients first," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "Across Texas and Florida, we put that mission into action - detecting kidney disease earlier, strengthening nutrition education for future doctors, advancing prevention and care for families facing dementia, and expanding access to women's health treatments. HHS is moving prevention to the center of American health care and giving patients more control over their health."

On October 20, Secretary Kennedy visited JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas where he joined hospital leaders, kidney specialists, and patient advocates for a roundtable on preventing kidney disease and improving treatment. During the visit, he announced HHS' National Kidney Plan, which is built around three priorities: prevention, patient choice and competition, and transplantation. The Secretary also announced an investment of up to $4.67 million through the KidneyX Prize Competition to advance earlier risk identification and practical nutrition and lifestyle approaches that help preserve kidney function.

"Diabetes and hypertension are among the leading causes of kidney disease, underscoring the critical importance of prevention, early detection and effective chronic disease management," said Dr Karen Duncan, President & CEO of JPS Health Network. "We were honored to welcome Secretary Kennedy and national healthcare leaders to JPS to share ideas and advance solutions that strengthen kidney health, expand access to effective treatments and improve the lives of patients and families across the country."

On October 21, Secretary Kennedy joined Congressman Aaron Bean at Lincoln Memorial University's DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Orange Park, Florida for a roundtable with Florida medical school and hospital leaders and a campus tour. Secretary Kennedy recognized medical schools that have committed to providing future physicians with at least 40 hours of nutrition education, or its competency equivalent. Participants included representatives from Lincoln Memorial University, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the University of Florida College of Medicine. Secretary Kennedy also recognized Nemours Children's Health for signing the Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge and called on additional healthcare institutions to join the effort.

"I am thankful for Secretary Kennedy's visit to Orange Park, where healthcare leaders from across Northeast Florida had the opportunity to share their ideas for improving healthcare directly with him and his team," said Congressman Aaron Bean. "When government listens, positive change can happen. By working together, we can create a healthcare system that puts patients and their health first to deliver better outcomes for Americans."

On October 22, the Secretary traveled to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he joined Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, Senator Rick Scott, and Broward Health leadership to announce HHS' National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. The plan sets federal priorities for the next decade, emphasizing dementia risk reduction, research and innovation, early detection and coordinated care, and services that support people living with dementia and their caregivers.

"Alzheimer's doesn't happen to one person. It happens to an entire family," said Shane Strum, president and CEO of Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System. "With more than 41,000 Broward County seniors and nearly 600,000 Floridians living with this disease, the National Plan's focus on prevention and earlier detection could not be more urgent. We were proud to host Secretary Kennedy at Broward Health Medical Center, and through our Memory Disorder Center, we will keep turning that national commitment into real care and support for patients and the families who love them."

Secretary Kennedy concluded the trip on October 23 at Noven Pharmaceuticals in Miami, Florida where he toured hormone therapy manufacturing operations with FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas and met with Noven and Sandoz leaders. Discussions focused on the Trump Administration's commitment to improving women's health and working across the supply chain to make hormone therapy more accessible and affordable.

Together, these visits underscored the Trump Administration's commitment to preventing chronic disease, expanding access to care, and giving Americans the knowledge and choices they need to take back their health.

Across four days, Secretary Kennedy moved the Trump Administration's health agenda from policy to action - advancing prevention, strengthening care, expanding patient choice, and giving Americans more ways to take control of their health.