Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn has formally requested that Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) adhere to President Trump’s recent executive orders concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within educational institutions.
The request, detailed in a letter sent Tuesday, follows reports suggesting VUMC attempted to obscure its DEI resources rather than fully dismantling them as directed by the presidential directives.
Concerns initially surfaced through Consumers Research, a conservative non-profit organization tracking responses from medical schools to Trump’s executive orders. Their findings indicated that certain VUMC DEI resources were accessible only through password-protected web pages.
A spokesperson for VUMC previously stated the institution was undergoing “a thorough review” of its programs, aiming to identify areas requiring adjustments “to remain in compliance.”
Current Status of DEI Resources:
* The Office of Diversity and Inclusion website remains password-protected.
* Similarly, the Department of Medicine’s DEI webpage is also secured behind a login.
* Resources promoting “climate care is health care” are still accessible via password protection.
* While some resources initially hidden have been removed—such as a YouTube video titled “The War on DEI”—others remain active.
Blackburn’s letter highlighted that several offices, including the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs, appear operational. These offices reportedly advocate for “collectively addressing systemic inequities” and “confronting structural racism,” with a stated priority of recruiting “diverse biomedical researchers.”
The Senator pointed out that VUMC received over $66 million in funding this fiscal year from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Furthermore, the medical center has invested more than $17 million into its “DEI and Belonging Program.”
“This is only one of many examples of VUMC investing in DEI initiatives instead of lifesaving medical research,” Blackburn stated. She added that VUMC’s history with progressive initiatives was “grim,” citing the previous performance of gender-affirming surgeries on minors before suspending the program due to public backlash.
The situation has also drawn scrutiny from Tennessee’s Attorney General’s Office, which investigated allegations in 2023 that a VUMC doctor allegedly manipulated medical billing codes for transgender treatments. This investigation followed a video released in 2022, purportedly depicting a VUMC physician describing these surgeries as “huge money makers” and suggesting individuals with religious objections should resign.
Blackburn emphasized the significance of President Trump’s executive orders, which prohibit DEI programs at federally funded research institutions and separate gender identity from biological sex.
“As a beneficiary of federal funding, VUMC has a responsibility to align with the President’s executive orders and return to a focus on lifesaving research as opposed to woke DEI initiatives,” Blackburn urged.
The Senator asserted that these “discriminatory” DEI programs ultimately cause more harm than good. She called on VUMC to prioritize Tennesseans by fully complying with the presidential directives.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, VUMC confirmed its commitment: “Vanderbilt University Medical Center is eliminating all DEI programs and is fully complying with Executive Actions on DEI. Shortly after the Executive Orders were issued, VUMC began removing related content on internal and external websites to reflect the termination of these programs. VUMC will continue to comply with federal mandates and directives.”