RFK Jr. recognizes FSU College of Medicine amid backlash - Tallahassee Democrat

Federal health officials praised Florida State University's College of Medicine for its nutrition education program.

The recognition comes amid a controversial proposal for FSU to acquire Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

The praise has drawn criticism from local Democrats due to the political officials' controversial stances.

Federal health officials of the Trump administration have taken the time to commend Florida State University's College of Medicine when it comes to its work of integrating nutrition education into medical training − all while the timing of the recognition from the controversial political figures has drawn some backlash from a local Democratic group and alumni on social media.

“Chronic disease is overwhelming our country, and it is accelerating,” Kennedy said, according to an FSU release. “Florida State University President Richard McCullough and (College of Medicine) Dean Alma Littles, along with Dr. Gold (from University of Nebraska), were the first to encourage and embrace this tremendous initiative.”

The recognition comes as Kennedy along with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya called on the nation’s medical schools to implement a minimum of 40 hours of nutrition education for medical students. Kennedy has been serving in his role for a year, and his anti-vaccine policies have been controversial following his longstanding advocacy for various conspiracy theories related to vaccines and other public health issues.

During the event, attendees included leaders from 53 of the nation’s top medical schools. Besides FSU, other universities with representatives present were the University of Florida, the University of Nebraska, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Arkansas, the University of California Irvine and Indiana University. It is unclear when the institutions received the invite for the recognition.

At FSU, nutrition and human performance have been one of the major focuses of the College of Medicine’s curriculum as well as the university’s research enterprise over the years prior to Kennedy's recent initiative. More recently, the university launched the Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health in 2025 for research aimed at using food-based solutions to solve complex health challenges.

“The Florida State University College of Medicine was created, in part, to expand access to health care across the wide variety of communities in our state − many of which are disproportionately vulnerable to the very chronic diseases that proper nutrition can help manage and even prevent,” Littles said in a statement after the D.C. event.

“We are proud that for almost 20 years, we have been providing a robust, fully integrated program of nutrition education that exceeds the minimum standards this initiative sets, and we are committed to enhancing even further the role of nutrition in medical training.”

Although the recent recognition of FSU’s medical school on the national-level stemmed from the integration of nutrition education into its medical training programs, it drew backlash on social media from alumni and others.

The Leon County Democratic Party tied the moment to the forthcoming hospital deal that would transfer TMH to FSU.

“Florida State’s current divisive, extremist leadership is palling around with anti-vax, anti-science MAGA figures,” the Leon County Democratic Party wrote in a March 7 X post, referring to Littles and the federal health officials. “Shameful. This state government regime cannot be trusted with our community’s hospital.”

The party is led by Ryan Ray, who also is the aide to Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, a leading critic of the impending hospital deal, which he says is rushed and opens our healthcare to the meddling of politicians once FSU takes control of the hospital land and assets.

Attempts to get comments from Littles and a university official were unsuccessful.

The local Democratic Party’s comments come as the city is set to hold a final public hearing on March 11 regarding the sale of TMH to FSU, which has been a controversial process with many in the community opposing the transfer.

"Nothing can remove the stain of inappropriate inducements, far right power plays and anti-science, anti-local control premises that characterize this entire mistaken attempt to separate the people of Tallahassee from our cherished hospital which we have collectively owned since just after World War II," the Leon County Democratic Party said in a March 9 statement sent to the Tallahassee Democrat.

In addition, the Leon County Democratic Party said in its recent X post that it stands with the Tallahassee branch of the NAACP against the TMH giveaway, which comes days after the local NAACP chapter met to lay out its concerns and requests about the hospital deal − all while hinting at a possible lawsuit.

Among the chapter’s requests were to implement a supermajority vote requirement to move the hospital sale forward. The group also asked for more financial oversight and clearer transparency on the proposed deals, and to have language that ensures all members of the community will be guaranteed healthcare.

The final public hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall, located at 300 S. Adams St.

Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.