Holy Cross Health’s 3rd Annual Food Is Medicine Symposium Celebrates Community, Innovation and Health

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (December 3, 2025) – The Dorothy Mangurian Women’s Center welcomed more than 100 attendees in-person and virtually for the 3rd Annual Food Is Medicine Symposium, an engaging gathering focused on advancing health through nutrition. Sponsored by Holy Cross Community Health & Well-Being, the South Florida Hunger Coalition and the Florida Health & Nutrition Coalition, the event brought together leading voices in food policy, nutrition science and community health.

The day began with a warm welcome from Oakland Park Mayor Tim Lonergan, setting the tone for a collaborative and forward-thinking experience. Attendees heard from keynote speaker cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, Director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, who shared powerful insights on the intersection of food and public health. Holly Freishtat, Senior Director of Feeding Change at the Milken Institute, and more than 30 other experts, including leaders in food sourcing, offered strategies to improve access to nutritious food and reshape food systems.

A highlight of the symposium was the Culinary Medicine Masterclass, opened by Oakland Park Vice Mayor Aisha Gordon and led by Olivia Thomas, RD, Director of Nutrition Innovation and Implementation at Boston Medical Center. Participants engaged in three hours of hands-on learning, exploring how to prepare healthy, culturally relevant meals that support chronic disease prevention.

The day concluded with inspiring closing remarks from Florida Representative Debra Tendrich and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz reinforcing the importance of policy, partnership and community engagement in building a healthier future.

Attendees enjoyed learning how to prepare healthy food, avoid the temptation of less ideal choices and make healthier decisions for their children. The symposium was a powerful reminder that food is not just medicine—it’s a pathway to equity, resilience and well-being.

ABOUT HOLY CROSS HEALTH

A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, not-for-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been recognized for six Types of Care in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospital rankings, was named among the 2024 America’s Best-In-State Hospitals by Newsweek and selected as a Forbes America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals in 2025. Holy Cross has also been designated as a High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for LGBTQ+ health care access. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as the community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also includes Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 40 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect with Holy Cross Health on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.