Independence, diversity, equity and financial freedom drive Dr. Donte A. Flanagan. Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, those drivers are what carried him to a successful career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
Today, he is dedicated to using his experiences with time management, resilience and courage to motivate diverse students to consider what has traditionally been a homogeneous profession. As a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologist, Dr. Flanagan serves as the Chair of the DEI committee of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), a founding member of National Black Nurses Association of Greater New York City (GNYCBNA), and president-elect of the Emory University School of Nursing Alumni Board.
Through his professional work, community involvement and public speaking, Dr. D. A. Flanagan aims to serve as a prominent voice and advocate for diversity throughout the field of nurse anesthesia. Today he leads this initiative through his Bigger Dreams, Better Tomorrows Foundation, Inc. The non-profit actively works toward increasing the diversity and leadership within the Nurse Anesthesia Profession via added resources, training, support, and mentoring. Current initiatives include both the Faculty Development Program, a program designed to empower clinicians with the tools, training and support needed to succeed within the Academic setting, as well as the Drea
m Big Wellness Support Group, which meets monthly to support current SRNA’s of color by creating a safe space with guided sessions led by a licensed counselor. These programs along with the ongoing leadership positions and speaking engagements and research allows Dr. Flanagan to continue pushing forward the core values of DEI with ongoing accountability and action-centered progress in order to facilitate a cultural shift toward full equity and inclusion within the nurse anesthesia profession.
