Shanna, Nurse & Advocate

Shanna Dell is close to finishing her Master’s in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For three years, she has worked as a nurse case manager at a clinic in East Baltimore in order to supplement tuition costs. She hopes to use her Master’s degree to prevent the spread of infection, decrease complications from chronic disease, and allow for greater health care access to all who need it in the community. Shanna also works with the Center for Disease Control through their partnership with the Baltimore City Health Department to increase the uptake of pre-exposure prophylactics in high-risk communities. Her role involves coordinating with clinics and the health department to decrease the spread of HIV.

Shanna received the Hal Cohen Endowed Scholarship at Central Scholarship. Carefirst established the fund to honor the incredible legacy of Dr. Cohen, renowned health care economist. The fund helps students pursuing undergraduate or masters degrees in healthcare policy, healthcare financing or economics.

In her free time, Shanna volunteers with Moveable Feast, a non-profit organization in Baltimore that delivers nutritious meals to people living with HIV and other life-threatening diseases. She participates in a 140-mile bike ride every year to help raise money for the cause.