Local News: Sikeston US Army veteran to be featured speaker at conference (7/29/22)

Dianne Jackson

Submitted photo

SIKESTON — A Sikeston U.S. Army veteran will be among the featured faculty during a national healthcare conference Saturday in Chicago.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Dianne Jackson of Sikeston will present, “Defining Social Determinants of Health and Strategies that Mitigate Achieving Optimal Living” during the “Improving Patient Access: Utilizing New Guidelines to Advance Patient Care” conference sponsored by the Association of Black Cardiologists Inc. and the National Black Nurses Association Inc.

Jackson, who is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with a Master of Science in nursing, is scheduled to speak along with Dr. Rimsky Denis, fellow of interventional and structural cardiology at Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Dr. Andre Artis, medical director of Methodist Hospitals Inc. Heart and Vascular Institute and Cardiovascular Service Line.

The experts will discuss inequities in access to healthcare for the African American patient and the social barriers that lead the furtherance of those disparities. They will review the updated chest pain, heart failure guidelines and discuss how the guidelines have impacted patient care and access.

Jackson served 29 years in the U.S. Army. In August 2012, Jackson, who had become a lieutenant colonel assigned to the Warrior Transition Command, was promoted to full colonel. She joined a selected group of soldiers who have risen to the rank in the Army where women make up 11% of all colonels and African-American women just 2%. Her previous assignment as the director of MRPS/ADME program at the Warrior Transition Command.

A 1984 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, she earned her master’s degree in Health Care Administration in 1991 at Southeast Missouri State University. She earned her advanced practice degree and master’s degree in advanced nursing in 1997 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her civilian nursing experience was at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston; SEMO Health Network in Lilbourn, Missouri; One Stop Medical Clinic in Cape Girardeau; and Dr. Roberts Primary Care Office in Sikeston.

In 1988, Jackson was directly commissioned in the Nurse Corps and has had assignments in the Army Reserve as head nurse, 21st General Hospital; family nurse practitioner for MEDRETE (Largos, Guatemala), MEDRETE (San Domingo, Dominican Republic), TDY (Heidelberg, Germany); chief of case management (Fort Dix, New Jersey); family nurse practitioner for Walson Medical Support Element (Fort Dix), OIC of JRC Medical (Fort Dix); sexual assault provider for Joint Readiness Base (Fort Dix, McGuire, AFB, Lakehurst); command surgeon, 143d ESC (Kandahar Airfield, AFG) and USARCENT Chief for Clinical Operations (Atlanta, Georgia/Sumter, South Carolina).

She completed the Department Advanced Course, the Medical Management of Biological and Chemical Casualty Course, Peace Operations Course, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program Course and a graduate of Command and General Staff College.

Her awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the NATO medal, the Afghanistan Campaign medal, the GWOT service medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Global War on Terrorism, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Overseas Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal and National Defense Medal. Jackson was also awarded the Missouri Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award of Excellence by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2003.

She has been married to Homer E. Jackson since 1979. They have two children, Ebony and Desmond Jackson; and three grandchildren, Xavier, Zoe and Marley Jackson.