Elizabeth Joseph, APRN, BC, MPH Title: Chair, Sustainability Climate Committee Organization: Jackson Health Systems Initiative Overview Elizabeth Joseph, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and Chair of the Sustainability Climate Committee at Jackson Health System, helped to lead a transformative initiative to address the overuse of regulated medical waste containers, commonly […]
Yearly Archives: 2025
16 posts
Name of Interviewee: Ashley Politi, MSN, RN, CCRN Organization: El Camino Health, Mountain View and Los Gatos, California Interviewee Background Ashley Politi is a registered nurse with a Master of Science in Nursing and Critical Care Certification (CCRN), serving as a staff nurse in the critical care department at El […]
A Calling Forged in Crisis The flickering television screen in young Colleen Groll’s living room did more than broadcast the evening news—it shaped a life’s purpose. Each night, images of wounded soldiers in Vietnam stirred something deep within her. By the time the war ended during her junior year of […]
Roots of a Calling Robbi Hagelberg’s nursing story began with a dream deferred—her grandmother’s unfulfilled aspiration to care for others. Growing up in rural Iowa, young Robbi internalized this longing, transforming it into her own life’s purpose. Now, after 35 years in nursing, she reflects on how this career has […]
Born and raised in Santiago, Chile, Claudia Zúñiga always knew she wanted to serve others—and nursing was the perfect way to do it. Her career began in a maternity unit, where she assisted with childbirth and postpartum care before transitioning to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Rising to the […]
Interviewee: Jo Bjorgaard, DNP, RN, PHN, CSSBB Title: Senior Climate & Health Manager Organization: Climate Advocacy Lab Background and Project Overview As the Pediatric Quality Improvement Consultant and Sustainability Lead at a large Midwestern academic health system, Jo Bjorgaard recognized a critical gap in the organization’s environmental accountability: no formal […]
Name of Interviewee: Sarah E. Johnson Organization: Providence St. Patrick Hospital Initiative Overview Sarah Johnson led a comprehensive environmental stewardship and climate action initiative at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, a regional acute care facility with approximately 1,300 employees and 600 nurses. The project was a multi-faceted effort to integrate sustainability […]
(original blog post) Initiative Overview Growing up in Florida’s Dade County, Caitlin MacLaren developed an early awareness of the imbalanced relationship between humans and the environment. She spent time working for several different nonprofits, addressing social and environmental justice issues through public policy research and advocacy. MacLaren was eventually drawn […]
(original blog) Initiative Overview From the Philippines to Finland, Floro Cubelo has seen how access to health care can make all the difference. Realizing the impact of his own greenhouse gas emissions from long flights home, this international nurse became compelled to lead climate action efforts through the lens of […]
Interviewee: Stephanie Santos, BSN, RN Organization: Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Background Stephanie Santos, a dedicated BSN, RN at Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, has spent nearly a decade championing environmental sustainability both within her healthcare institution and across her community. Her journey began with a simple observation: the staggering amount […]