Meet Hanna
Meet Hanna! Hanna is our Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner here at LIV. Hanna serves Wyoming and Northern Colorado through our telehealth platforms. Check out her interview below!
Q: What’s your favorite family recipe? Will you share it?
H: I absolutely love Green Chile and this recipe is the BEST!! TIP: Use fresh roasted green chiles, not canned ones.
Pork with Roasted Green Chili’s
- 6 pounds pork: 3 pounds Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage & 3 pounds pork loin (cubed)
- 12 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 56-84 ounces roasted green chili’s (fresh!) (diced and drained)
- 2 large cans Rotel (diced), or you could use diced tomatoes
- 12 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 fresh jalapenos (chopped fine)
- Onion (optional)
- 14-16 tablespoons butter (8 used in one part & 8 in another part of the recipe
- 16 tablespoons flour (8 used in one part & 8 in another part of the recipe)
- To taste: Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, garlic powder
8 Spice Mix: Finely grind or crush herbs and mix all of the following together really well.
- 1 tsp. Roasted red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. Pepper
- 4 tsp. Oregano (dried)
- 4 tsp. Onion powder
- 4 tsp. Parsley
- 8 tsp. Garlic powder
- 8 tsp. Cumin powder
- 8 T. flour
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Fritos
- Cilantro (fresh, chopped)
Brown sausage, drain off grease, put sausage in a stockpot. Cube pork loin. Sprinkle both sides generously with Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
Melt 6-8 T. butter; saute optional onion, garlic cloves and cubed pork until meat is browned or even a little crusty around the edges. Add the 8 Spice Mix, cooking for 3-4 minutes while stirring to coat the meat.
In large stock pot combine; sausage, spiced pork, Rotel, chicken stock, roasted green chili’s, jalapenos and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then simmer 30 minutes or 3-4 hour, or basically whatever!
1 hour before serving, combine the butter and flour into a roux.
Roux: melt 8 T. butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 8 T. flour one tablespoon at a time and cook 4-5 minutes, whisking constantly, until the roux is thick and the flour has browned a little or enough to release a “nutty” flavor. Remove from heat and incorporate immediately into the chili. Simmer for this hour, being careful it does not burn on the bottom.
Ladle chili into bowl, top with shredded cheese, Fritos, sour cream and cilantro.
Q: Why do you feel there is such a stigma around mental health? How can we change it?
I believe the stigma associated with mental health stems from people not truly understanding mental illness or what it actually means to struggle with a mental illness. Gaining perspective and educating yourself and others about mental health are two ways that we can help overcome the stigma.
Q: What is your medical specialty? And why did you choose it?
H: I am a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) and I am no stranger to mental health challenges. In the tiny farming community of Burlington, Wyoming, I grew up witnessing the toll poverty took on our family and our neighbors, and I saw the pain of depression and substance abuse every day. With little access to mental health care, people in rural areas have few options for treatment or for education about their conditions. As a practicing Registered Nurse since 2014, I have worked closely with medical teams to assess and meet the needs of this population. I have come to appreciate both the prevalence of mental illness and its tremendous impact on physical health, relationships, and economic wellbeing. My aim in seeking to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner was to help people who are battling mental illness, particularly children and adolescents, and to reduce both stigma and suffering in underserved areas.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
H: I love to travel and explore different cultures. I have been to Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, Honduras, Roatan, Mexico, and the Virgin Islands. I think my next trip is going to be to Spain and Morocco.
Q: What is LIV to you?
H: Many people in Wyoming lack accessibility to health care, especially mental health care. LIV Health allows me to serve those struggling with mental health illnesses in my community and also those at more of a distance.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do for self-care?
H: My favorite thing that I do for self-care is cooking; it has always been a way for me to relieve stress and boost my mood.