Collaborating and partnering are a key to who AllergyHome is and what we do.  In the spirit of collaboration, we are incredibly lucky to welcome this fantastic team of educators and advocates, each with skill-sets and expertise that broaden the reach and scope of the food allergy awareness that we are all working so hard to share with our fantastic community.

Anne F. Russell, BSN, RN, AE-C: 

My primary professional goals continue to include advancing public awareness, clinical care models, research and education regarding IgE mediated food allergies and food-induced anaphylaxis. Several of my food allergy clinical, educational, research and advocacy special interests include: risk management and effects of this chronic atopic condition on patients/families; conceptualizing, creating, implementing and evaluating educational materials for patients/families, communities, businesses and schools/universities; diverse public health education and awareness initiatives; health policy legislation and advocacy; and curriculum program development for medical professionals. I have been fortunate to professionally experience food allergy/anaphylaxis concerns and issues from multiple perspectives through non-profit advocacy and education leadership, clinical Allergy, clinical Pediatrics, university based food allergy program administration, as a School Health Director and more. This work, in addition to my personal family experience with food induced anaphylaxis, inspires me to contribute to progressive improvements for the food allergy community. I am deeply familiar with the challenges embedded in navigating life with serious food allergies. While much work has been done thus far, more efforts must be pursued to forge a better future for those in the food allergy community.  Collaborating on AllergyHome projects holds potential to foster positive change and assistance to those managing food allergies. I have long respected and admired the work of AllergyHome and am honored and delighted to be a team contributor.

Anne H. Sheetz, RN, MPH, NEA-BC: 

My professional goals include improving the health care for all children with a particular focus on developing high quality school health services provided by sufficient numbers of professional school nurses.  During my 24 year tenure as the Massachusetts State School Nurse Consultant, my nursing colleagues and I had many opportunism to improve the management of children with life threatening allergies in the school setting:  (a) developing and promulgating medication regulations, (b) writing guidelines for schools, (c) providing educational sessions (d) developing and implementing data systems to track epinephrine administration  in the Massachusetts public and private schools and (e) founding the first school nurse research network.  Hopefully this experience will prove helpful to others as they work  to make schools responsive to the needs of children with life threatening allergies.

Gina Mennett Lee, M. Ed:

As an educator and longtime advocate for children, I feel a responsibility to use my expertise to help make our homes, schools, and communities save havens for those with food allergies.  Accomplishing this goal requires a collaborative effort with educational outreach being a vital component.  Not only is education critical to improving the quality of life of those impacted by food allergies, it quite literally will save lives.   As a professional with an intimate understanding of how our schools and classrooms function, as well as the multitude of demands placed on those who serve in our schools, I am especially passionate about providing resources and tools to this important segment of our community.  I am proud and honored to be joining the team at Allergy Home and look forward to the work that lies ahead.

Grennan Sims, RD, LD

What a tremendous honor and privilege it is to collaborate with such an amazing group of advocates and educators with AllergyHome!  Working in an urban school district plagued by health disparities gives me purpose.  Living in an area less impacted by social disadvantages, I continue to see so many gaps in health and food allergy knowledge.  Witnessing our nation’s children suffer the burden of preventable disease, injury and opportunities to achieve optimal health fuels my passion to achieve health equity.  But I cannot do this alone. Through collaboration with doctors, nurses, parents, teachers, school administrators, and association leaders, I hope to eliminate both the real and perceived barriers that cause health and educational inequalities for our nation’s future leaders. Partnering with AllergyHome and other allergy advocates across the nation enables my purpose and passion to be shared, enhanced and to grow beyond measure.  As a food and nutrition educator working in school nutrition for nearly 20 years, I feel compelled to share my knowledge of managing food allergies in school kitchens and cafeterias.  I hope that my experience will help and inspire others to do everything in their power to protect the lives of every child we serve school meals to each and every day. Together, we learn and grow… and can make a difference in the life of a child.  Thank you AllergyHome for giving me that opportunity!  

Thank you to our expert contributors.  Your passion and your energy inspire us and we look forward to all of our work together!