Dionne Wade-Burns
Dionne, who compassionately responds to and is known in her community as Sis Dionne, is accomplished Licensed Nurse with over 20 years of clinical and leadership experience. After completing her nursing education in 2007, she began immediately working as a Graduate Nurse for the State of Texas. Dionne began building her clinical skills in LTC, Hospice, Med-Surgical areas of healthcare. Within two years of graduating nursing school, she accepted assignment in nursing administration area and has continued supporting within the diverse areas of the healthcare industry. Throughout her career Dionne has continued to leverage information, skills and acquired knowledge through partnership and collaborative resources to benefit others. Dionne holds multiple licenses and certifications including license nurse, massage therapist, certified community health worker, perinatal coach doula, and an authorized provider of American Red Cross. Dionne serves as Liaison for SOA Public Health Subgroup Committee and works to identify barriers in activities of daily living to individuals in rural and urban areas. Dionne served as Ambassador for Diversity and Inclusion where she aimed to maintain a diverse high performing workforce where all workers are valued and enabled to contribute to the company’s business objectives. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Dionne serves in nonprofit community organizations her goal is to advocate safe, healthy, supportive neighborhoods and environments. As a Certified Perinatal Coach™, she connects underserved pregnant women to other women in their communities who are specially trained as doulas to provide support during the critical times of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum/early parenting. As a Certified Community Health Worker she acts as liaison and implement programs that promote, maintain, and improve individual and overall community wellness. Dionne supports the Department of Criminal Justice and serves in the chaplain division of the inmate re-entry programs. Her passion to serve is supported by husband, children and grandchildren.
• License Vocational Nurse
• Community Health Worker
• Perinatal Coach
• Case Management
• Mental Wellness
• Health Connections, Inc
• MKE Heart Health Learning Collaborative
• Mental Health America
• American Red Cross-affiliated programming and certification
• Community Initiatives
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to truth, integrity, and compassion, as well as to meeting people where they are—especially in healthcare environments where trust and cultural understanding are essential. My passion for serving underserved and vulnerable populations, combined with my commitment to improving access to care, has guided both my clinical leadership and community-focused initiatives.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to enter healthcare for passion and purpose, not solely for financial reward, and to focus on the areas where I can make the greatest impact.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering healthcare is to pursue this field from a place of calling and compassion, not just income. Identify your strengths and passions early, and build your career around them. Seek opportunities where you can make a meaningful, large-scale impact, even beyond bedside care. Finally, remain adaptable and open to non-traditional paths and leadership roles, as they often lead to the greatest growth and influence.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some of the biggest challenges in healthcare today include limited access to affordable care in certain regions, social determinants that prevent individuals from receiving consistent treatment, cultural stigmas or reliance on non-medical remedies that delay care, and high patient loads combined with systemic pressures in long-term care and clinical settings.
At the same time, there are exciting opportunities to expand preventive care and community health outreach, integrate holistic and traditional wellness practices with modern medicine, strengthen care coordination and quality improvement systems, and develop vocational and workforce pathways that support long-term community stability.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are integrity and honesty in healthcare practice, providing compassionate and culturally sensitive service, and promoting equity in access to care and resources. I am committed to empowering individuals through education, wellness, and workforce opportunities, while striving to make a meaningful impact in the community beyond my professional obligations.