Genetic wisdom

Experienced nurse practitioner Anne Stoltenberg pursues an MJ in Health Law

“Two years from now, you’ll be two years older. What will you have to show for it?”

A Loyola University Chicago School of Law alumna asked that question of prospective students during a webinar years ago, and it resonated with Anne Stoltenberg, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC. So much so that Stoltenberg took the leap and enrolled in the School of Law’s Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) in Health Law program after being a nurse practitioner for 30 years.

Experienced in providing acute care in hospitals, Stoltenberg in 2016 started the High-Risk Breast Clinic at Ascension All Saints Hospital, in partnership with Ascension Franklin Hospital in Franklin, Wisconsin. But she realized that getting her MJ from Loyola—selected for its excellent reputation in Health Law—would allow her to be an even better advocate for her patients.

“I saw that medical technology preceded policies and protocols and ethical thinking. There were critical moments when I wanted to be an advocate for myself and for patients.”

“Genetic information and what we know about it changes so fast and is continually evolving,” says Stoltenberg. “Part of the reason I wanted to get my MJ is because I saw that medical technology preceded policies and protocols and ethical thinking. There were critical moments when I wanted to be an advocate for myself and for patients.”

Living in southeastern Wisconsin, Stoltenberg finds Loyola’s online MJ program to be challenging and insightful. Through classes like Introduction to Legal Study and Legal Writing, Health Law and Policy, and Introduction to Legal Research, Stoltenberg has become better prepared to take on the healthcare world with knowledge from her two years at Loyola.

She was also deeply inspired by Professor Maryellen Maley, who also began her career as a nurse. “You always have your nursing knowledge, that’s what you’re grounded in,” says Stoltenberg. “But then you need to take it and expand it to make things better for patients.”

After taking time off to earn her MJ and care for her family during the pandemic, Stoltenberg plans to jump back into clinical care practicing hereditary cancer risk or risk management quality work for acute care in hospitals when she graduates this year. “I feel much better equipped in whatever I choose to pursue,” she says. “I can better research topics, I have a network of people to ask questions of—not just the faculty but also the classmates that I’ve met through the program.” —Stephanie Mitchell King (April 2022)