UT Health Sciences Joins U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Initiative to Advance Nutrition Education in Health Care

The University of Tennessee Health Sciences is pleased to join the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a national initiative to strengthen nutrition education across health care training programs, reinforcing the critical role of nutrition in improving patient outcomes and advancing public health.

As part of this initiative, UT Health Sciences affirms its commitment to advancing nutrition education across its health professional programs and supporting the growing national movement to integrate "food as medicine" into clinical care and community health.

The HHS initiative encourages participating institutions to work toward a minimum of 40 hours of nutrition education in medical training while highlighting existing institutional strengths and fostering continued innovation.

"Nutrition is already a core component of how we educate future health professionals in our programs across the state," said Jessica Snowden, MD, vice chancellor for Research and dean of the Graduate School. "This initiative provides an important opportunity to elevate that work, expand our impact, and partner nationally to ensure that nutrition is fully integrated into patient care."

Building on a Strong Foundation

UT Health Sciences has long embedded nutrition and "food as medicine" principles across its academic programs, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and allied health professions. This cross-college approach ensures that students are trained to address nutrition as a fundamental driver of health, regardless of their discipline.

The university's interprofessional model spans multiple campuses and colleges, creating a collaborative training environment that reflects real-world health care delivery. This structure enables coordinated, team-based approaches to patient care, including nutrition assessment, counseling, and referral.

Expanding Education and Sharing Resources

Through participation in the HHS initiative, UT Health Sciences will expand and enhance its existing nutrition education efforts. This includes:

• Broadening educational resources across health professional programs
• Strengthening integration of nutrition into clinical training and patient care models
• Sharing best practices and curricular resources through the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence

The Rural Health Care Center of Excellence will serve as a key platform for disseminating tools, educational materials, and community-based strategies to improve nutrition-related health outcomes across Tennessee and beyond.

"Nutrition is already a core component of how we educate future health professionals in our programs across the state. This initiative provides an important opportunity to elevate that work, expand our impact, and partner nationally to ensure that nutrition is fully integrated into patient care."

A Distinctive Model for Community Impact

UT Health Sciences brings a unique, statewide approach to nutrition education and outreach, grounded in its mission and longstanding community partnerships.

Through partnerships with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and its network of extension offices in all 95 counties, the university delivers evidence-based nutrition and obesity prevention programs directly into communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas. These trusted local partnerships enable the translation of academic knowledge into real-world impact.

"Our ability to connect academic health education with community-based outreach is a defining strength," said Wendy Likes, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing and Principal Investigator for the Rural Healthcare Center of Excellence. "By leveraging our extension system and rural health infrastructure, we are able to meet people where they are and translate education into meaningful health improvements."

Advancing a National Movement

UT Health Sciences' participation reflects a broader national effort led by HHS to elevate nutrition as a core component of health care education and delivery. The initiative emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and voluntary leadership from academic institutions to meet evolving patient and community needs.

University leaders note that this effort builds on existing strengths rather than replacing current training models, focusing on continuous improvement and interdisciplinary collaboration across all health professions.

"This is about raising the bar across the health care system," said Michael Hocker, MD, executive dean of the College of Medicine. "By working together across disciplines and institutions, we can ensure that every health care professional is equipped to address one of the most important drivers of health."

For more information about the nutrition education initiative, visit the HHS website.