Secretary Kennedy Celebrates Hospital Nutrition Commitments, Florida Farm Partnership During ‘Take Back Your Health’ Tour in Miami

MIAMI—MARCH 30, 2026—Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on the latest leg of his nationwide Take Back Your Health tour, today celebrated new hospital commitments to strengthen nutrition-driven patient care by connecting Florida farms directly to hospital food systems. 

Secretary Kennedy also announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality and Safety Special Alert directing hospitals to meet patient nutrition standards by aligning meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and reducing ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars.

The America First Policy Institute organized the event at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, where Secretary Kennedy joined CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., for a leadership roundtable with health care executives and providers. The discussion focused on pediatric care, chronic disease prevention, and the role of nutrition in improving health outcomes, followed by a press conference.

“Thank you to Nicklaus Children’s Health System President & CEO Matthew Love and his outstanding team for your hospitality, your leadership, and your commitment to putting real food on patients’ plates,” said Secretary Kennedy. “Quality health care starts with quality food. The actions announced today will help improve patient outcomes, prevent chronic disease, and Make America Healthy Again.”

At the roundtable, Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz announced the CMS Special Alert, reinforcing hospitals’ legal obligations to deliver high-quality nutrition care. The guidance directs hospitals to align food service with the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods and adequate protein while limiting ultra-processed foods and added sugars.

The memorandum also reinforces existing Medicare Conditions of Participation, requiring hospitals to:

• Meet individual patient nutritional needs
• Maintain dietitian oversight
• Keep therapeutic diet manuals current
• Integrate nutrition into quality and performance improvement programs

CMS further urged hospitals to update menus, procurement practices, and nutrition protocols to reflect current federal dietary guidance.

“Food should not be an afterthought in health care,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Oz. “When hospitals align what’s on the tray with what’s in the chart, we give patients a better chance to faster recovery, avoided complications, and healthier long-term outcomes. By connecting hospitals directly with local farmers, we’re not just improving meals; we’re rebuilding a care model that treats nutrition as essential medicine.”

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital signed a first-of-its-kind pledge to formalize its commitment to advancing nutrition through a direct partnership with Florida farmers — bringing fresh, locally sourced food from the field to the patient food tray.

Developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, the partnership creates a pathway for hospitals to source more food from Florida producers, strengthen nutrition strategies for patients, and remove longstanding procurement and contracting barriers that have historically limited farm-to-hospital sourcing.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is the first institution to sign the pledge, setting a model for hospitals nationwide.

The initiative supports:

• Expanding farm-to-hospital purchasing and streamlined sourcing pathways for local producers.
• Workforce and training programs connected to nutrition services and food preparation.
• Medically tailored meal strategies designed for specific patient populations.
• Partnerships that help hospitals improve food quality and nutrient density across menus.

“Anytime we can encourage connecting our Florida farmers with customers is a triple win. We get healthy food to consumers, we support our local economy, and we strengthen our national security through domestic supply,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “Florida’s Department of Agriculture has a successful program for food banks, and we stand ready to expand our Farmers Feeding Florida program to our hospitals and patients. We are grateful for the leadership of President Trump and his administration for this effort.”

During the visit, Secretary Kennedy met with pediatric patients and families at the hospital’s Panda Cares Center of Hope, underscoring the role of nutrition in compassionate, patient-centered care.

“On behalf of Nicklaus Children’s, we thank the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for their commitment to the health and wellness of families. We know that the foundation of lifelong health begins with nutrition, which is why Nicklaus Children’s is proud to be the first health care organization in Florida to sign the Food is Health: Take Back Your Health pledge,” said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “Our food and nutrition efforts have led the way for many years, and we remain committed as part of this national program to further elevate nutrition as a critical component of care. By partnering with Florida’s agricultural community, we are enhancing the quality and freshness of the food we serve our patients, strengthening the state’s economy by keeping business local, and reinforcing our commitment to creating healthier futures for the children and families we serve.”

Secretary Kennedy’s visit to Miami is part of the nationwide Take Back Your Health tour, which brings together health care leaders, farmers, educators, and policymakers to advance President Trump’s directive to Make America Healthy Again.