Linda Juszczak
Linda Juszczak - Pioneer in School Based Health Care
Linda Juszczak, 62, died peacefully at her home surrounded by her family and friends on March 27 after living valiantly with her cancer diagnosis.
Linda, the daughter of Walter and Mary Juszczak, was raised in Dhahran. During her school age years she was an avid horse rider participating in gymkhanas, and was a Girl Scout, a member of the gymnastic team, and a Jr. High cheerleader.
After Linda graduated in nursing from Skidmore College, she worked as a pediatric nurse. She earned two masters degrees, one in nursing and one in public health and her pediatric nurse practitioner certification from the Universities of Colorado and Minnesota. She also earned a Doctor of Nursing Science from Yale University. Linda practiced as a pediatric nurse practitioner, caring mostly for adolescents, for over 35 years in New York and Washington, DC, even while holding administrative positions in several organizations.
Linda's passion was assuring health care for all children, but especially for those who had limited access. She was a pioneer in the school-based health care movement in the 1980s. She was the founding President of the New York Coalition for School Based Primary Care and was one of the founding members of the School-Based Health Alliance. After leadership roles in adolescent health and school-based programs at Montefiore Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital in New York, she accepted a position as President of the School-Based Health Alliance in Washington, DC. She was highly successful in growing the organization and obtaining funding for school-based health centers, which now number over 2,000 in the U.S. She authored many papers and book chapters, and served on national foundations and government committees on adolescent health and school-based health care. Last year, she consulted with the Saudi Department of Education on its plans to place school nurses in all of their schools. She was the only American among the invited group of consultants
Linda was an avid world traveler and loved to cook and share good food with her family and many friends. Linda is survived by her mother, Mary, and her sister, Janice, of Manchester Township, New Jersey, and her brother, James, of Houston. Friends who would like to share memories of Linda with her family may do so at condolencesforlinda@gmail.com. The School-based Health Alliance has established the Linda Juszczak Legacy Fund to honor her tireless efforts on behalf of children, www.sbh4all.org.