At the 2026 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo® (FNCE®) in San Antonio, Academy President Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, welcomed Samuel Watters, counselor in the Immediate Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for a discussion on federal nutrition priorities and opportunities for the profession during the session From Policy to Practice: Advancing Nutrition Education in Healthcare.
Watters, who leads the HHS Nutrition Education Initiative, emphasized that expanding nutrition education for physicians "is not to replace dietitians." Rather, he noted that stronger nutrition education can increase referrals and demand for specialized nutrition services and told attendees "you play an extremely important role in that conversation."
He also stressed the importance of involving RDNs in developing medical school curricula, stating that schools "need to be leveraging your expertise on what should be included in those curriculums. And I think the role there is actually educating future doctors yourselves."
Looking beyond education, Watters discussed the potential for increased demand for RDN services and opportunities to explore reimbursement and new care delivery models through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
The session continued with a panel featuring Corrine K. Hanson, PhD, RD, LMNT, FAND, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center; Olivia Thomas, MS, RDN, LDN, of Boston Medical Center; and Rayane AbuSabha, PhD, RD, executive director of ACEND. Panelists discussed RDN-led approaches to strengthening nutrition education in healthcare. Watters then rejoined the panel for an audience Q&A on nutrition education and policy.
The Academy will continue engaging policymakers and government leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to advance priorities for RDNs and NDTRs, strengthen their role in healthcare, and expand access to evidence-based nutrition care.
Learn more about how the Academy is elevating the profession's role in nutrition education and healthcare.
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