By Alli Benjamin, College of Nursing
SPOKANE, Wash. – A pioneering expert in green health care has been hired by the Washington State University College of Nursing to integrate environmentally sustainable content into its nursing courses.
Beth Schenk is creator of the Nurses’ Environmental Awareness Tool (NEAT) and founder of the Green 4 Good program at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Mont. The program aims to reduce the facility’s environmental impact.
As an assistant research professor at WSU, Schenk will develop an interprofessional course centering on environmental stewardship in health care. She will continue research, refine and implement NEAT and build and support shared research opportunities between Providence sites and WSU faculty and students.
She will be on a shared appointment with Providence St. Patrick in Missoula.
Schenk earned her Ph.D. in nursing from WSU in 2013. She has received the Montana Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, Sustainable Business Council of Montana Nonprofit of the Year in 2010 and Annual Best Practice transportation awards in Missoula.
Her hospital was inducted into the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Leadership Circle in 2010 with ongoing membership in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, St. Patrick’s was recognized by the organization specifically for leadership in energy conservation.
Learn more about the WSU College of Nursing at http://nursing.wsu.edu/.
Contact:
Alli Benjamin, WSU College of Nursing communications director, 509-324-7340, alli.benjamin@wsu.edu