Partnership with UT Physicians Brings CHPPR’s SCAN Diabetes Nutrition Program into Clinical Practice

Published: September 17, 2026

Researchers at the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (CHPPR) have partnered with UT Physicians to implement a nutrition-based diabetes intervention into clinical practice. This marks the first time the university-developed Sustainable Culturally Adapted Nutrition (SCAN) program has been translated into a clinic setting.

SCAN is a four-week nutrition intervention developed by the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health to support adults living with diabetes. The program combines evidence-based diabetes education with culturally adapted recipes, hands-on cooking demonstrations, and practical strategies for meal planning, grocery shopping, food preparation, and making healthy choices. Participants also receive produce and ingredients to reinforce the skills learned during class.

“The patients really love SCAN,” said Kira Wilson, MS, RD, LD, CDCES, MSHA, Diabetes Program Manager at the UT Physicians Department of Health Transformation Initiatives. “It really helps them put what they're being taught into practice. It lets them say, ‘Okay, now I'm going to eat this recipe, which I know is going to be helpful for my diabetes.’ And they like the skills that they are being provided.”

UT Physicians adopted SCAN as an enhancement to standard diabetes self-management support services to evaluate whether adding a hands-on, culturally adapted nutrition component could improve participant retention, increase program attendance, and ultimately lead to better health outcomes. The research team collaborated with UT Physicians clinicians and staff to integrate the program into existing patient care and establish a sustainable referral process.

“One of the things that we struggled with in the past was sustaining the patients through a whole month-long program,” said Wilson. “But SCAN has helped retain patients through the whole curriculum. There's a huge amount of social support and peer-to-peer collaboration that the group context offers, and cooking together adds another opportunity for bonding and collaboration between the participants. It really helps sustain patients in the program.”

To date, 37 participants have completed the program through four cohorts at UT Physicians. The Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Katy has also completed an English and a Spanish cohort, with a second Spanish cohort set to begin in September.