Liz Butera
Health and Human Services
By Shannon Kuhn
For over 26 years, Liz Butera has been making a difference in the lives of thousands of Anchorage residents.
As a Senior Public Health Nurse Practitioner with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Butera provides high quality and compassionate care at our municipal Public Health Clinic. Being a nurse at a safety-net health clinic, Butera often sees patients who may have no one else to turn to.
It only takes a few minutes to feel completely comfortable in Butera’s presence. She is quick to grin and her eyes light up when talking about her work. “I love the diversity that public health nursing provides,” she says. “In my job I get to work in a clinical setting helping individuals both at the Health Department as well as at public events such as Health Fairs and Flu Clinics in our Wellness on Wheels mobile trailer. My favorite part of my job is educating men and women about their reproductive health and empowering them to make healthy choices.”
Butera joined DHHS in 1991 as a public health nurse. She now leads a team that provides health services to the women at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center, where many of those incarcerated are at a higher risk for health disparities. Twice a month, Butera provides annual exams, breast exams, cancer screenings, education about contraception, and testing and treatment of infectious diseases.
Butera is one of those extraordinary people that serve as a positive role model both professionally and personally. She is an inspiring example of how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and she bikes to work in rain, snow, or ice-fog. She has won the annual Mt. Marathon race in the female division, and finished the race 30 times. Also an avid nordic skier, her favorite place to ski is the Tour of Anchorage trail. “I can ski there from my house!” she exclaims.
She quotes Katherine Graham, American Publisher, who famously said, “To love what you do and feel that it matters- how could anything be more fun?” Butera adds, “that pretty much sums up how I feel about being a Public Health Nurse at DHHS.”
