Health Care Newsletter Kennedy’s new MAHA partnership with medical schools by Joseph Choi - 03/05/26 4:51 PM ET by Joseph Choi - 03/05/26 4:51 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email 96 Presented by the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story   Kennedy’s new MAHA partnership with medical schools  Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced a partnership with several dozen medical schools to require nutrition education as a condition of graduating.  © AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr. “Fifty-three medical schools across 31 states are driving the national movement to champion nutrition education, reshape the future of medical training. Beginning this fall, these schools will require every medical student to complete 40 hours of comprehensive nutrition education or competency equivalent before graduating,” Kennedy said from HHS headquarters.   “More than 30,000 physicians each year will now graduate equipped with nutrition education to help prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease,” he added. “This is how we implement the MAHA agenda, this is how we ‘Make America Healthy Again.’”    According to HHS documents, the partnership will entail 71 requirements including an understanding of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans that were released in January.    An HHS factsheet stated that $5 million  is being put toward medical and health education programs that incorporate nutrition education in their instruction by HHS.    The nutritional aspect of the MAHA agenda is one area in which there has been bipartisan support, with its focus on eating more whole foods and moving away from processed foods.    Some aspects of Kennedy’s philosophy on nutrition have drawn criticism, including his support for eating more red meat and his aims of ending the “war on saturated fats.”   The secretary ascribes to a version of the so-called  “carnivore diet”  which he’s described as “mainly meat and then fermented — anything fermented. So, a lot of yogurt, good yogurt without sugar in it. Then, coleslaw and kimchi and all kinds of fermented vegetables.”    Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter , I’m Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:   Senate Democrats block bill to fund DHS, spurning increased GOP pressure Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), spurning pressure from Republicans who argued the conflict with Iran has heightened the need to end the agency shutdown. Senators voted 51-45 on the measure that would have funded DHS for the remainder of fiscal 2026, with every Democrat — save for Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) — voting against it. Sixty votes were required for passage …  Full Story   Estrogen patches harder to find as FDA pushes hormone therapy Estrogen patches, one of the most common forms of hormone therapy for women, are becoming harder to find, and some manufacturers say a recent action by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a significant driver of rising demand …  Full Story   Trust in CDC, FDA, NIH shrinks: Survey A poll published Thursday found that Americans have lost trust in federal health institutions and are more likely to say they trust independent, professional medical organizations when it comes to advice on topics like vaccination. The February survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania found that public trust in agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the …  Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Noem replaced as DHS secretary with Oklahoma senator President Trump on Thursday announced he was replacing Kristi Noem as Department of Homeland Security secretary with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) in the first major shake-up of his Cabinet in his second term. Trump said in a Truth Social post Noem had served her role well and would be shifting to the role of special envoy for “The Shield of Americas,” a new initiative for the Western Hemisphere. Full Story   Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Missouri  bill looks to nurses to address health care shortage ( WGEM )  Some lawmakers push to restore funding for program aimed at improving infant, maternal health ( North Carolina Health N