Nancy Kaufman

Nancy Kaufman, RN, MS, FAAN, of Mequon, WI passed away on May 11, 2021 with her family by her side. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Ira Kaufman, her son Andrew Kaufman & his wife Heather Toews-Kaufman, her grandsons Jasper & Arlo Kaufman, her brother Terry Foreman & his wife Linda, her step-mother Myra Foreman, her step-brothers Jeffry Kamenetz & his wife Helena Friedman and Joshua Kamenetz & his wife Lillian, along with extended family and many lifelong friends. Early Life and Education A Milwaukee native, Nancy graduated from Shorewood High School in 1967, where she was an avid participant in both drama and music clubs. She received a BS in Nursing from the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971. While at the university she helped start and manage the Blue Bus Free Clinic, testified at the Legislature on behalf of WSNA to urge making contraceptives legal for all, became an expert treating drug abuse cases in the UW ER, helped run MASH units at rock festivals, was a founding member of Madison's Acid Rescue, and authored the first AJN article on drug crisis intervention. In 1970, Nancy served as a nurse on a UW "Hoofers" ski trip, where she met Ira, her future husband of 48 years. Nancy was the first nurse to be admitted and receive a MS in Preventative & Administrative Medicine from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in 1983. Career Nancy worked as a health care professional for over 50 years, dedicating her entire career to population health, public policy, and the profession of nursing. She tirelessly supported the next generation of nurses in advocating for positive health outcomes for all, especially among the most marginalized populations. Nancy aspired to ensure that the expertise of nurses is represented in all health care arenas. She held positions in Wisconsin's government from 1971 to 1991 and, in her last post, was Deputy Director of Public Health for Governors Thompson, Earl, and Dreyfus. During her time with the state Nancy staffed Governor Lucey's Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse and Attorney General Warren's Controlled Substances Board, established Wisconsin's first methadone treatment and prevention programs, directed the Maternal/Child Health and Preventive Services Block Grants, helped to pass the second HIV statute in the country, revised immunization requirements & state public health statutes, initiated annual state health plans, and established the state's tobacco control program. In 1991 she was recruited to be the Vice President for Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (the nation's largest health philanthropy), where she served for 12 years. While there, Nancy directed teams charged with reducing the harm caused by tobacco, primary care practitioner shortages, rebuilding the public health infrastructure, and positioning nurses to lead change. She managed RWJF's collaborative work in the Clinton West Wing, organizing public hearings around the country about what health reforms were needed. Nancy established several national grant programs, such as Executive Nurse Fellows, Turning Point (to improve state/local public health systems) and Substance Abuse Policy Research. Nancy is best known for her work in national and global tobacco policy change. Her research demonstrated effects of tobacco marketing on youth and women. At RWJF, she led national tobacco policy/advocacy initiatives, demonstrating efficacy of raising state excise taxes and smoke-free air. She was a member of a small, confidential team of federal government officials, tobacco researchers and advocates to plan strategies to defeat the tobacco industry and drive policy change. She developed an evidence-based policy/advocacy agenda, improving cessation treatments and creating a national social marketing campaign to advocate for change and counter the clout of the industry (the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids). Public opinion changed to support increased taxes and smoke free air, attorneys general successfully challenged the industry and the White House and FDA engaged in federal tobacco policy. While advising WHO, she participated in tobacco treaty negotiations, creating a global civil society advocacy organization to support it. Her policy work contributed to significant reduction in U.S. smoking prevalence among high school students and adults, along with measurable declines in global smoking prevalence. In 2003 she returned to Milwaukee, becoming the Vice President of Philanthropy for Aurora Health Care. She later went on to found The Strategic Vision Group, a health and social issues consulting firm with clients such as USAID MCH programs in Africa and Asia, health ministries in China and Japan, WHO, global and national health foundations, AARP and the American Cancer Society. Nancy served on two Presidentially-appointed, HHS/NIH national advisory councils (the National Institute on Drug Abuse Advisory Council and HHS's Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health). In addition, she served on the CDC Advisory Council on Infectious Disease, and an FDA advisory board on research of e-cigarettes. She also served as the Board Chair for the UW-Madison School of Nursing. In 2017 she became a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Personal Life In addition to her storied career, Nancy was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She was the matriarch of her extended family, and she defined family very broadly. Nothing lit up her eyes like being with her grandkids, Jasper and Arlo. Whether it was holding & feeding them as babies, reading them stories on her lap, spending weekends all together in Bellingham, video calls to watch them with play-doh, or making elaborate cakes for their birthdays, she was always beaming with pride at the sight of her 2 little guys. Nancy collected friends throughout her life and truly cherished each relationship. She criss-crossed the country to support her friends; celebrating children's weddings, nursing them to health, supporting them in loss, or simply to relax and enjoy the scenery together. She loved to cook; she loved to host. Thanksgiving, Seder, Hanukkah, and Christmas tables were always overflowing with food, family, and friends. The place settings were ornate, often with hand calligraphed name cards and menus, and center pieces positioned just so. The spreads were bountiful and guests always received leftovers to take home. She was an endless hobbyist: an art collector, jewelry maker, quilter, gardener, an avid reader, and on it goes. Travelling was a particular passion for Nancy, and she toured the world, visiting all 50 states, Canada, much of western & eastern Europe, Jamaica, Kenya, Russia, China, and Japan. She volunteered in her community, for Andrew's school & hockey fundraisers, for public television auctions, on the Temple Beth El Social Action & Justice committees, and of course using her training as a nurse; via the clinics she established at UW-Madison, as a first aid attendant for Andrew's hockey teams, for the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey during the events and aftermath of 9/11, and as an emergency nurse-on-call for mass gatherings, such as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Memorial Tributes It was Nancy's wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of charitable donations to Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids or to the newly established Nancy Kaufman Nursing Leadership & Public Health Fund for the School of Nursing at University of Wisconsin-Madison.