Captain (O-6) James LaVelle Dickens
DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Season 05 - Episode 08
Captain (CAPT/O-6) James LaVelle Dickens, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
CAPT James Dickens serves in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Dallas as the Survey Operations Group Long Term Care Manager for five states. Previously he served in the Office of the U.S. Secretary for Health as the Senior Program Manager for the Office of Minority Health in HHS Region VI. He is an experienced Registered Nurse and Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over thirty years of federal healthcare experience. CAPT Dickens’ clinical experiences include Orthopedics, Emergency Department, Surgical Services, Long-Term Care, and the Primary Care setting. He currently serves as the AANP Region 6 Director for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
CAPT Dickens also served as the Officer in Charge of the Commissioned Corps Ebola Response, Team 2 (76 member inter-professional team) serving at the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) Ebola Treatment Unit in Monrovia, Liberia-West Africa, leading all local MMU clinical response efforts. CAPT Dickens has received numerous Nursing leadership and Uniformed Service awards during his career.
CAPT Dickens is a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, whose mission is to promote, protect and advance the health and safety of the Nation. His medical deployments include participating as a clinical team member for the Afghanistan Health Initiative (AHI) in Kabul, Afghanistan. He served as a technical advisor of a Commissioned Corps hospital assistance team in Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and in St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. CAPT Dickens served as the USPHS Officer in Charge of the COVID-19 response and as the Officer in Charge of USPHS Operation Artemis response for unaccompanied children.
EDUCATION:
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, Lubbock
Master Science Nursing, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Hampton University, Hampton, VA
Bachelor Science Nursing, Hampton University, Hampton, VA
Associate of Applied Sciences in Surgical Technology, Community College of the Air Force
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
2020 Fellow-American Academy of Nursing
2018 American Association of Nurse Practitioners, National Towers Pinnacle Award
2017 Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Excellence in Clinical Care Award
2015 Meritorious Service Medal (second highest honor award in the USPHS)
2010 Fellow-American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
