Harnessing policy to advance your sustainability efforts
March 20, 2025
Harnessing policy to advance your sustainability efforts
3–4 pm ET (12–1 pm PT)
Listen to all the ways policy advocacy plays a role in advancing your sustainability efforts. Learn to navigate government levels to drive broader change and highlight your unique accomplishments. Hear firsthand from U.S. Health Care Climate Council members Providence and Boston Medical Center about their experience in climate and sustainability-oriented policy advocacy and discover how to engage internal teams like communications and government affairs on sustainability policy opportunities. This session will give you actionable insights into how to engage in policy work, no matter where you are on your sustainability journey.
Elizabeth Schenk
Job Title
Chief Environmental Stewardship Officer
Organization
Providence
Beth Schenk (she/her) is the chief environmental stewardship officer for Providence, leading a cross-functional commitment to reduce operational pollution while addressing environmental justice and climate resilience in the communities we serve.
Beth has been a Providence caregiver for over 30 years. From serving as an ICU nurse at St. Patrick in Missoula to leading nursing research across the Providence organization, Beth has nurtured her passion for environmental care. She has led the environmental stewardship initiative for the Providence system since 2020.
Her national advocacy includes membership on the Expert Panel for Environmental and Public Health in the American Academy of Nursing, membership in the Healthcare Without Harm Climate Council. Beth is a founding board member of Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, and Climate Smart Missoula. She has hosted the Nurses for Healthy Environments podcast since 2019 for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Beth is an assistant research professor at Washington State University College of Nursing. She has developed two tools related to environmental stewardship - the Nurses Environmental Awareness Tool (NEAT) and the Climate and Health Tool (CHANT). CHANT has been used in over 50 nations to understand awareness, concern, motivation, and behaviors among health professionals regarding climate change and health. She has numerous publications and presentations related to this work.
She has received several honors, including the Charlotte Brody Award from Healthcare Without Harm; induction as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing; and named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Montana.
Beth lives in Missoula, Montana with her husband and pets where she hikes, plays music, gardens, and explores the beautiful mountains and streams.
David Opp
Job Title
Senior Manager of Federal Advocacy
Organization
Boston Medical Center
Antonia Herzog
Job Title
Director of Policy & Advocacy
Organization
Health Care Without Harm & Practice Greenhealth
Leading HCWH’s policy and advocacy program, Antonia (she/her) is well-versed in climate change policy that focuses on protecting public health. Her previous climate work includes roles at Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Natural Resources Defense Council. She holds a doctoral degree in physics from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in applied physics from Columbia University. Antonia has lived in Washington, D.C. since 2002 with her husband and son.
Tim Cronin
Job Title
Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy
Organization
Health Care Without Harm & Practice Greenhealth
A U.S. HCWH policy team member, Tim (he/him) primarily oversees state and local policy engagement alongside a limited portfolio of national-level policy projects. His previous work includes leading state work for the think-tank Climate XChange Education & Research and CABA-US, a business roundtable focused on clean energy and climate resilience. Most recently, Tim led Health Care Without Harm’s Massachusetts work, including convening health sector leadership bodies for the Green Ribbon Commission and the City of Boston.
Join Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.
Who We Are
Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,500 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the health care value chain.