Heather L. Johnson, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP is a Family Nurse Practitioner, educator, and retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel whose work spans clinical practice, academic leadership, and health systems innovation. As Director and Chair of the Family and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Dr. Johnson leads one of the nation's most rigorous advanced practice nursing programs, with a strong focus on operational readiness and care for military-connected populations.

Dr. Johnson’s scholarship and teaching center on improving systems of care for children with special health care needs, especially those in military families. She has authored and integrated curriculum across Family, Women’s Health, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner tracks to better prepare nurse practitioners to navigate complex care environments. Her mentorship has helped shape dozens of successful Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects, and she is widely recognized for her contributions to competency-based education and faculty workload reform.

She has partnered with the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health and other federal and academic institutions to develop multidisciplinary training initiatives for disaster preparedness and vulnerable populations. An active clinician at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Cabrera Family Health Center, Dr. Johnson brings real-world expertise into every aspect of her teaching and leadership. A Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, she is a nationally sought speaker and author on topics spanning pediatric neurodiversity, women’s health, academic leadership, and nursing education.