Deanna was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Upon graduating from high school Deanna enlisted in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman where she served and gained valuable life and nursing experiences. Becoming a nurse was a dream of hers since childhood following in the footsteps of her maternal grandmother, Minnie Mae.
After her honorable service in the Navy, Deanna began to pursue her undergraduate nursing education. She graduated with her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, with honors, from Kansas Newman University in Wichita, Kansas in 1992. She later accepted a commission in the United States Public Health Service where she served honorably in Alaska, Pennsylvania and Colorado and then retired as a commissioned officer in Alaska. She was first stationed in Alaska in 2003 and this is when she made Alaska home.
During her active duty service Deanna obtained a Certificate in the Advanced Study of Complementary and Integrative Therapies and her graduate degree, a Master of Science in Nursing, with a concentration in Leadership and Health Systems Management, also with honors in both programs, from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From there Deanna continued on with her post-graduate education and obtained her post-graduate certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Deanna has over 35 years of varied nursing experiences in maternal/child health, high risk antepartum, labor & delivery, community health nursing, mental health, case management, Indian Health Service, Immigration Health, and Department of Defense/United States Army. Deanna was honored to serve with the United States Army as a commissioned officer on one of the Army’s first Embedded Behavioral Health Teams providing behavioral health services to very high risk Soldiers with complex mental health needs. She has a true passion for this population that have sacrificed so much for our country.
Deanna has taught in the Complimentary and Integrative Therapies Program at Drexel University and is passionate about assisting her patients in exploring alternatives to medication for their mental health needs if this is what her patients desire. Whether a person is suffering from anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, situational stressors or a lifelong mental illness, Deanna has a passion for helping others overcome obstacles and hurdles in life. She desires to see others achieve their lifelong dreams and goals that will enable them to experience the peace and joy in life that achieving these goals and accomplishments can bring to a person.
In her free time Deanna enjoys spending time with her Service Dog, Copper as well as her six grown children (3 sons and 2 daughters, 3 daughter-in-laws and 1 son-in-law) and 12 grandchildren (8 granddaughters, 4 grandsons), training with her service dog, gardening, skiing, snow machining, four wheeling, traveling, and just being outdoors in beautiful Alaska.
Associations
- American Nurses Credentialing Center – Board Certification
- Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association
- American Nurses Association
About the Therapy & Service Dogs
Meet Annie Mae. Annie Mae was a 15 year-eleven-month old Golden Retriever and was an emotional support/therapy dog who helped found the practice and was in the clinic with Deanna every day. She will always be remembered by patients as the friendly Golden who greeted them with a warm smile and a wagging tail.
Meet Commander Copper. Copper is a 5 1/2-year-old Golden Retriever and is Annie Mae’s great nephew. Copper is a Professionally Trained and Certified Service Dog of Deanna’s. While he is unable to interact with patients you will find him in the office with Deanna every day. Please do not talk to or try to interact with Copper as he is a working Service Dog.