This School Nurse is Committed to Addressing Climate Change
Charter School of Music and for the Charleston County School District, as well as an RN Employee Health Coach for TargetCare, Inc. She also represents APHA’s Public Health Nursing Section in the Nursing Coalition on Climate Change and Health. Hannah earned her baccalaureate degree from Viterbo University and her Emergency Medical Technician license from Western Technical College, both located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Hannah has experience in Research, Acute Care/Telemetry, and Emergency Room Nursing. She also volunteers with several free medical clinics and environmental organizations in her communities. Hannah’s interests include the relationship between the environment and health, especially as it pertains to vulnerable populations and social determinants of health. As a resident of South Carolina, Hannah recognizes how important climate adaptation and mitigation are to her community. One of her career goals is to develop strategies and programs to help vulnerable communities in Charleston and the surrounding areas predict and prepare for the effects of climate change. She recognizes that nurses, as the most trusted profession, have a vital role in this process. In her free time, Hannah enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, gardening, cooking and yogaBeth Schenk
Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, MHI, RN-BC, FAAN is Providence-WSU Nurse Scientist and Sustainability Coordinator at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana. In addition, she is assistant research professor in Nursing at Washington State University in Spokane. Dr. Schenk co-leads nursing research efforts at St. Pat’s, and also across Providence St. Joseph Health, working with nursing leaders at 50 hospitals.
Dr. Schenk leads efforts for environmental stewardship at St. Patrick, and has worked with hospitals across the health system to reduce environmental impacts for the past 25 years. In her academic work, she developed the “Nurses Environmental Awareness Tool” which has been used in multiple states and several countries to assess awareness of the environmental impacts of hospital-based healthcare. She led the development of the CHANT: Climate, Health and Nursing Tool. She was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as a Fellow in 2018. Dr. Schenk serves on the national board of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and several local boards.
