Academy Highlights Workforce Investment and Interprofessional Collaboration in Nutrition Care

Academy President Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, recently wrote an op-ed in RealClearPolicy highlighting the urgent need to invest in the nutrition and dietetics workforce as understanding of nutrition’s role in prevention, treatment, and healthcare delivery continues to grow.

The Academy's work also emphasizes interprofessional education and collaboration, aligning with the op-ed's call to integrate RDNs into care teams from the start of treatment. When each profession understands and uses the full scope of the others, healthcare becomes more coordinated, communication improves, delays are reduced, and patients gain better access to evidence-based nutrition expertise at the right time.

In May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established physician specialty code F7 for physicians holding the physician nutrition specialist credential, reflecting growing recognition of nutrition’s role in healthcare. While the change does not create a new credential, expand benefits, or alter RDN scope or reimbursement, it may help healthcare systems more clearly identify physicians with formal nutrition training.

This recognition is not a replacement for RDN-provided services, but rather another opportunity to integrate nutrition into care earlier, strengthen physician-RDN collaboration, and connect patients with the appropriate nutrition expert.

The Academy has been aware of this credential and discussed it during a June 2025 Power of Nutrition podcast episode, which explored National Uniform Claim Committee taxonomy codes for physician nutrition specialists and how physicians with this credential can coordinate care with RDNs.

The Academy will continue advancing workforce investment, interprofessional collaboration, and stronger referral systems to ensure patients receive timely, expert nutrition care.