Inclusivity

Sandy is an enrolled member of the Lower Sioux Mdewakanton Dakota Community in Morton, Minnesota. She received her bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) from St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN and her Master of Art (MA) in transcultural nursing and community care at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN. She holds a certificate in healthcare management from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.

Sandy’s 40-year nursing career has spanned long-term care, clinic and hospital care settings. She has been at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI for the past 31 years and has held a variety of leadership roles in clinical operations and presently is clinical operations director of the Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders, Hospice, Palliative Medicine, Spiritual Care and Advanced Care Planning.

Sandy has been an active contributor for many academic, state and national nursing initiatives related to diversity and Native American nursing priorities.  She is immediate-past President of the National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA) and represents NANAINA on the board of the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association (NCEMNA), having recently completed a 6 year term as treasuer of NCEMNA.

Sandy was honored to have co-authored with her dear friend, the late Dr. Roxanne Struthers, “The Essence of Native American Nursing” in 1999, which was then presented at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in London, England. In June, 2020, Sandy was a contributing author to “Culturally Congruent Health Care of COVID-19 in Minorities in the U.S.: A clinical practice paper from The National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations”, published in the Journal of Transcultural Nursing. Sandy also contributed to the development of “Diversifying the Nursing Workforce: Mentoring for Student Retention and NCLEX Success at AI/AN Serving Institutions”, a curriculum to guide nursing schools serving AI/AN students. In 2021, the curriculum was presented to a select group of faculty from across the country.

Sandy has been married to her husband Greg for 38 years. They have children and grandchildren that light up their lives. Sandy is an avid golfer, likes going to pow wows and enjoys beading caps and visors for her family and friends!