Bernadette Y. Jao DNP, RN, PMH-BC, FAAN

Bernadette Y. Jao, DNP, RN, PMH-BC, FAAN was appointed Associate Director of Patient and Nursing Services April 26, 2020.  Dr. Jao has over 37 years of nursing experience, including academic and private sector, with more than 22 years of progressive leadership experience within the Department of Veterans Affairs. She joined the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in 2020 as the Associate Director of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. Dr. Jao provided critical leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, including leading vaccination efforts across New England. She has wide-ranging backgrounds in providing leadership in Mental Health, Medical and Surgical Services, SPS and Primary Care. She has served on various Integrated Project Teams for VHA's Office of Nursing Services (ONS) and has held committee appointments at the national, regional, and local levels. She currently co-chairs the National Nursing Leadership Council for ONS. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Old Dominion University in 2015. Dr. Jao is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) Leadership for a Democratic Society program. She was the recipient of the 2019 VA Secretary's Award for Excellence in Nursing – Nurse Executive. Dr. Jao was recently inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing's class of 2022. Dr. Jao serves as Special VA Faculty at Fairfield University's Egan School of Nursing, and as an Associate Clinical Professor at the Yale University School of Nursing.