Allison Gilmer is the recipient of the American Journal of Nursing/Thelma Schorr Scholarship. Allison is currently a dual-degree student at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she is working toward obtaining her Doctorate in Nursing Practice and Master’s in Public Health. She is a graduate of Boston College Connell School of Nursing, where she received both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing.

After completing her BSN from Boston College, Allison practiced as an emergency department nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was inspired to pursue her nurse practitioner degree to expand her clinical skills and build longer-term relationships with patients. Upon receiving her master’s degree from Boston College, Allison transitioned into a primary care role as a family nurse practitioner at Beth Israel Lahey Health, where she cared for a varied patient population and managed a broad scope of physical and mental health issues throughout the lifespan. In her current role as a primary care provider at Harvard University Health Services, Allison continues to promote preventive medicine and has furthered her practice toward caring for LGBTQIA+ individuals, young adults, and international health.

Working in both emergency and primary care clinical settings, as well as abroad in Ecuador and Haiti, Allison witnessed firsthand how gaps in care impact individual and community health. These experiences instilled in her a passion for improving access to quality care for all populations. Now at Johns Hopkins’ DNP/MPH program, Allison has the opportunity to combine her clinical skills with a passion for improving public health through policy—while learning from world-renowned nursing and public health experts. Allison’s current research focuses on the opioid epidemic; specifically, how federal and state policy and legislation affect treatment and care for those with addiction disorders.

Beyond the clinic and the classroom, Allison also serves as a preceptor for nurse practitioner students; is a member of the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners Political Action and Legislative committees; and is a volunteer at her church.

Completing the DNP/MPH program at Johns Hopkins will further equip Allison to fight for health equity through a clinical and policy platform. She looks forward to using her varied expertise as an advocate for individuals and communities. Allison is humbled to receive this distinguished scholarship and is truly grateful to NEF and the American Journal of Nursing, Carl Kirton, Editor-In-Chief and Thelma Schorr, NEF Board member and AJN Editor-In-Chief from 1971-1981), for their generous financial support, as it will allow her to focus on her primary goal of advancing healthcare equity.