SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Passionate, change-minded, and a born leader, Laurel Chiaramonte spends her life in the service of others as an officer and nurse in the United States military. Just out of high school, she joined the Air Force as a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. Recognizing her innate leadership abilities and love of selfless service, the Air Force sent Ms. Chiaramonte to nursing school at Vanderbilt University following her graduation in 2003. There she earned a Master’s degree and board certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Adult Health. Laurel has been a long-time advocate for the CNS beginning with a presentation of the “Role of the Clinical Nurse Leader” at a symposium sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Veteran’s Health Administration in 2004 through her ongoing Ph.D. research into the role. Laurel is now a member of the Reserve component of the Air Force and works as a government employee for a consortium of Colorado Springs military treatment facilities. The consortium is known within the Defense Health Agency for maximizing cost savings through new/innovative methods without sacrificing quality or safety. As their Chief of Medical Management, Ms. Chiaramonte works to streamline and standardize the roles of Air Force and Army case managers, disease managers, and utilization managers in the area. Laurel’s current position aligns with her research focus as she works to break down barriers and make improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of military/veteran care by incorporating and formalizing the CNS role in primary care clinics.