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November 10, 2021

2014 Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar Alumna, Jessica Castner, Selected as the National Academy of Medicine Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence
By Bernadette Capili PhD, NP-C

Jessica Castner, PhD, RN-BC, FAEN, FAAN, a 2014 Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar alumna, has been selected as the 2021-2022 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence. The program is a year-long immersion experience for an American Academy of Nursing Fellow to enhance their expertise and play a prominent role in developing health policy at the federal level while engaging in interprofessional collaborations with scholars at NAM.

NAM is a premier institution that provides evidence-based solutions and offers comprehensive policies to advance public health and address health inequities, such as the recently report Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equityt. NAM catalyzes critical health issues to the forefront of the public eye and policymakers’ agendas through reports and other activites. In addition, the Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence position provides crucial nursing perspectives to support better public health.

Dr. Castner is the President and Principal Investigator/Consultant of Castner Incorporated and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Emergency Nursing. An expert in emergency and environmental health, Dr. Castner hones her clinical, entrepreneurial, and research experience to develop the next generation of telehealth and emergency care that understands and addresses social determinants of emergency medicine utilization to create more equitable care. Her pioneering work to integrate environmental health research, emergency nursing, and data science modeling within a social justice framework has enabled her to promote healthy environments and prevent health emergencies.

Dr. Castner indicated that she will use this opportunity to impact nursing’s role in environmental justice and the future well-being of our nation. She will also maximize her opportunity for interprofessional collaboration to continue her work on environmental health equity initiatives. The Heilbrunn Family Center is proud of Dr. Castner and her accomplishments. Her selection to this prestigious program is a graphic example of nursing excellence that bridges contemporary nursing practice with health policy.