Sue Anne Bell, Ph.D., FNP-BC

University of Michigan School of Nursing
400 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482
In the news
October 2, 2024: Hurricane Helene Deaths Will Continue for Years, Study Suggests. Interview. New York Times.
December 30, 2023: Pack Your Memories Into Your Disaster Bag. Interview. The Atlantic.
Interests
- Disaster preparedness and response
- Acute and emergency care
- Healthcare resilience
- Aging
Dr. Sue Anne Bell is a nurse scientist and family nurse practitioner, with expertise in disaster response, community health and emergency care. Her research focuses on the health and well-being of aging populations in the context of disasters and public health emergencies. She is serving as a 2024-2025 NIH Visiting Scholar, as well as, on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s National Advisory Council on Seniors and Disasters. Dr. Sue Anne Bell is clinically active in disaster response as a nurse practitioner with the National Disaster Medical System, with over a dozen recent deployments.
Affiliations / Service
- National Institutes of Health Visiting Scholar, 2024-2025
- Voting Member, National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2021- present
- Health Scientist, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Advisory Council, 2018-2023
Notable Awards / Honors
- Policy Impact Award, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, 2023
- Civilian Covid Response Medal, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022
- Invited testimony to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging, 2021
- Public Policy Advocate Award, American Nurses Association of Michigan, 2021
- Nurse Researcher Award, Emergency Nurses Association, 2021
- Fellow, American Academy of Nursing, 2020
Education
- Executive Leaders Program, Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Monterey, CA, 2022-2023
- National Clinician Scholars Program, 2016-2018
- PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 2014; Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies 2014
- MSN, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 1999
- BSN, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 1997
Publication Highlights
Bell, S.A., Kruger, K., Ikari, R., Khunmuench, C., Gates, K., Rosemberg, M.A. (2025). Addressing dementia care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from home care workers. Journal of Gerontological Nursing.
Kruger, K., Rettell, Z., Chang, T., & Bell, S.A. (2025). Youth Perspectives about Readiness for Disaster Events. Traumatology.
Bell, S. A., Miranda, M. L., Bynum, J. B., & Davis, M. A. (2023). Mortality following exposure to a hurricane among older adults living with dementia. JAMA Network Open, 6(3), e232042. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.2043
Koman, P. D., Billmire, M., Baker, K. R., Carter, J. M., Thelen, B. J., French, N. H. F., & Bell, S. A. (2022). Using wildland fire smoke modeling data in gerontological health research (California, 2007-2018). Science of The Total Environment, 838(3), 156403. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156403
Bell, S. A., Krienke, L., Brown, A., Inloes, J., Rettell, Z., & Wyte-Lake, T. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to providing home-based care in a pandemic: Policy and practice implications. BMC Geriatrics, 22, 234. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-02907-w
Bell, S. A., Donnelly, J. P., Wang, L., & Davis, M. A. (2022) Hospitalizations for chronic conditions following hurricans among older adults: A self-controlled case series analysis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 70(6), 1695-1703. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17702
Bell, S.A., Klaza, K., Iwashyna, T.J., Norton, E., & Davis, M.A. (2020). Long-term healthcare provider availability following large-scale hurricanes: A difference-in-differences study. PLOS One, 15(11):e0242823. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242823
Bell, S.A., Banerjee, M., Griggs, J. Iwashyna, T.J., & Davis, M. A. (2020). The effect of exposure to disaster on cancer survival. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35, 380-382. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05465-x