Dr. Debra Diaz has been a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA) since 1994 and a registered nurse since 1976. She currently works on a per diem basis at AdventHealth Daytona Beach. She retired from Jackson Health System/Public Health Trust in Miami, Florida, and is a retired Commander in the US Navy. Dr. Diaz is currently serving on the AANA Board of Directors as the Director for Region 2. She has served twice as President of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She also served on the AANA PAC, AANA, and FANA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and is a State Peer Advisor for Florida. Dr. Diaz serves on the AANA and FANA Government Relations Committee during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. She received her BSN from the University of Miami, her Master of Health Science in Nurse Anesthesia from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a Specialization in Anesthesiology from Barry University. Her duties in the US Navy included rendering anesthesia care to service members and their families, DoD employees, and members of Congress. While serving on Active Duty, she was assigned to three aircraft carriers. She was mobilized for duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom in the Global War on Terrorism to provide anesthesia care to the service members who suffered casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. In August 2022, Dr. Diaz was inducted into the Fellowship of the AANA.
Her professional interests include political advocacy, mentoring, and leadership. She also enjoys music, dancing, cooking, and traveling. She has a son, Topher Flores, and a son-in-law, Roman Flores. Her love for dogs includes her pittie “Duchess.”