Jessica Flanary

Jessica Flanary graduated from William Jewell College in Liberty, MO with her BSN and the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS with her MSN in Organizational Leadership. She began her career at the Kansas City VA Medical Center in 2005 as a student nurse tech and then worked in critical care as registered nurse until she became the nurse manager in 2014.

In 2018, she accepted the position of the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Specialist while maintaining her certifications in critical care and nursing professional development. In partnership with human resources, she ensured the Kansas City VA had the best time to hire in the VISN and work diligently to decrease the vacancy rate for nursing by 4%. 

In 2020, Jessica accepted a detail role into the Associate Chief Nurse for Inpatient and Emergency Department Services position, which became permanent in 2021 after assisting during the height of the pandemic in the Midwest. Jessica has a passion for safe and fair labor practices and solving problems with a team approach. She is looking forward to the further advancement of nursing practice and high reliability at the VA Portland Health Care System and reestablishing the professional identity of nursing in light of the workforce shortages across the nation. 

In addition to exploring the Portland area, Jessica enjoys spending time with her three daughters and ‘COVID’ puppy. She is a lifelong Kansas City Chiefs fan, foodie, and an outdoor lover