Linda's Legacy

March 27, 2014

It is with a heavy heart that we announce today that Linda Juszczak has succumbed to her battle with cancer. Linda fought bravely for nearly three years, far exceeding her initial prognosis, and continued her work as the President of the School-Based Health Alliance until very recently. Linda never let her ailment slow her down, and remained committed to the school-based health care movement. She continued to lead the organization through rebranding and multiple conventions. Her recent work has been critical in establishing new partnerships and programs, and our advocacy efforts. Her strength and vision during this time has been an inspiration to everyone who was fortunate enough to work with her.

Prior to assuming the position as President of the School-Based Health Alliance, Linda served for 35 years as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and directed hospital, community, and school-based programs for adolescents. She served as Deputy Director of the School Health Policy Initiative at Montefiore Medical Center and Director of SBHCs at North Shore University Hospital in New York. 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.

Linda’s legacy is cemented in the history of the school-based health care movement. As a member of the founding Board of Directors, and more recently in her role as President, Linda has guided the School-Based Health Alliance through an unprecedented period of success. Her tenure has seen the first federally appropriated source of funding for school-based health centers; a new brand for the organization; partnerships with dozens of corporate, philanthropic, and government entities; and strides in our data, evaluation, and quality improvement work. Linda published extensively on adolescent health and school-based health care, and many of her articles are seminal texts in the academic literature on school-based health centers.

In lieu of flowers, Linda has requested that donations be made to the Linda Juszczak Legacy Fund. This fund will be used to strengthen the school-based health care movement by developing future leaders who can follow in her footsteps. In addition, messages of support for her family can be left below.