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 […]
Monthly Archives: June 2025
11 posts
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 […]
Interviewee: Ann Mead, RN Role: Clinical Nurse, Perioperative Unit; Co-founder of Nurse Sustainability Subcouncil Turning Observation into Action Ann Mead’s sustainability journey began with a simple yet profound observation she had seen replicated in various units in different hospitals where she had worked. She noticed plastic wash basins, originally intended […]
Interviewee: Charlotte Wallace, MS, RN Former Role: Sustainability Coordinator at Anne Arundel Health System From Pediatric Nurse to Sustainability Trailblazer Charlotte Wallace’s sustainability journey began unexpectedly when, as a pediatric nurse, she penned a bold letter to her hospital’s president challenging the institution’s environmental footprint. Her simple yet powerful argument—”We […]
Interviewee: Pat VanMaanen, MS, BSN, RN Former Roles: Public Health Nurse, School Nurse Consultant for the Arizona Department of Education Current Role: Chair of the Arizona Nursing Association’s Climate Change and Health Work Group (Volunteer) Background and Initiative Overview Pat VanMaanen’s journey into climate advocacy began during her tenure as […]
Interviewee: Deanna Benner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (MP, MSN), and Ashley Oncay, Nursing Professional Development Specialist (MSN) Organization: ChristianaCare, Delaware Background At Christiana Care in Delaware, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Deanna Benner and Nursing Professional Development Specialist Ashley Oncay have quietly revolutionized how their hospital handles medical surplus. Though neither […]
Interviewee: Karen Ceresnak, Beside Nurse (BSN, RN) Organization: Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Initiative Overview Karen Ceresnak and her colleagues in the Pediatric ICU formed an eco-sustainability team to identify and implement changes that would make their unit more environmentally sustainable. The team was nurse-driven, with ideas and projects originating from […]