Colleen Leners, D.N.P., FNP-BC, APRN

Dr. Colleen A. Leners, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, serves as the Chief Health Officer at 1stCallHEALTH, where she leads a team focused on veteran-centered care. A decorated military veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star, Dr. Leners brings over 30 years of experience in clinical, academic, and policy leadership. As the former Director of Policy at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), she guided national advocacy efforts and led National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research initiatives, including the "All of Us Research Program."
In her role as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow, Dr. Leners served on Senator John Thune's staff, focusing on Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans' health. Currently, she is the Region 3 Director for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and serves on the boards of Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Case Western Reserve University Alumni. Dr. Leners holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) focus from the University of San Diego, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from California State University, Dominguez Hills.