The Relentless School Nurse: RWJF Celebrating Women Trailblazers Who Are Advancing Health Equity.

I always read emails from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), a legacy philanthropic foundation dedicated to building a “Culture of Health” across the country. This week’s newsletter is celebrating Women’s History Month and features women who have spent their careers advancing health equity. I read the list of women and the individual stories that are linked in the article. Imagine my delight and deepest honor to see my name listed among these trailblazing women! Here is a reprint of the newsletter:

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the accomplishments of women who have tirelessly worked toward building a Culture of Health despite systemic inequalities at the intersections of gender, race, and class.

Our Culture of Health blog highlights many generations of health leadership from women activists who have dedicated their careers to advancing health equity. We hope you are inspired by their stories. 

For more than five decades, Marian Wright Edelman has sought to support every child’s right to health, wellness, and prosperity. Her revolutionary efforts have challenged traditional power structures and championed policies designed to advance racial equity and civil rights so that children and families can reach their full potential. 

Maria Gomez  has had her finger on the pulse of our healthcare system and the people it serves throughout her storied, 30+ year career running a community health center that serves a low-income, immigrant community in greater Washington, D.C. Her work in the community has helped pioneer an integrated model of healthcare, education, and social services to put people on a path to good health, stability, and economic independence.

Over her 40-year career, Janet Topolsky has tirelessly worked toward a future where rural communities and Native nations across the United States are healthy places where every person belongs, lives with dignity, and thrives. She shared her vision of the future for improving rural economies. 

Robin Cogan has been caring for other people’s children and advancing health equity as a school nurse, nurse educator, and nurse leader for more than two decades. She shares some of her most memorable experiences helping students facing hunger, mental health challenges, COVID, and more.