Dr. James Dickens is a seasoned Registered Nurse and Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a distinguished career spanning both clinical settings and public health leadership. Currently, he serves as the Long-Term Care Manager for five states within the Survey & Operations Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Dallas, Texas. Prior to this role, he held the position of Senior Program Manager for the Office of Minority Health in HHS Region VI, Office of the U.S. Secretary for Health.

Dr. Dickens' extensive clinical experience encompasses a wide range of settings, including orthopedics, emergency departments, surgical services, long-term care, emergency response, global health, and primary care. He has demonstrated exceptional expertise in these domains, earning him the recognition of American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Region 6 past Director for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.

His dedication to public health initiatives is exemplified by his leadership as the Officer-in-Charge of the Commissioned Corps' Ebola Response, Team 2, which deployed to the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) Ebola Treatment Unit in Monrovia, Liberia. In this role, he spearheaded all local clinical response efforts within the 76-member inter-professional team. He also served as the Officer in Charge of the USPHS COVID-19 response, Operation Artemis response for unaccompanied children and USPHS Operation Condor (Afghanistan refugee resettlement).

Throughout his career, Dr. Dickens has garnered numerous awards for his outstanding leadership and contributions to nursing and uniformed service. Notably, he is recognized as a Fellow-American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), received the American Association of Nurse Practitioners' National Towers Pinnacle Award, and been honored with the Excellence in Clinical Care Award from the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Nursing.

His commitment to public service is further reflected in his extensive participation in medical deployments. He served as a clinical team member for the Afghanistan Health Initiative (AHI) in Kabul, Afghanistan, and provided technical advisor support to a Commissioned Corps hospital Assistance Team in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dr. Dickens' professional achievements and unwavering commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes make him a role model for nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide. His dedication to public health and clinical excellence serves as an inspiration to those striving to make a positive impact on the lives of others.