Gina Miranda-Diaz, MS/MPH, DNP, APHN-BC & Health Officer, has over 3 decades of professional experience that includes acute care facilities, community health, diagnostic imaging business owner, staff development, nursing faculty, academia and nursing administration.

Gina earned a Bachelor of Science Degree (Nursing) from Adelphi University in 1984. During the spring of 1997, Gina graduated from Hunter College with a Master’s degree Nursing and Public Health at Hunter College. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Prior to her graduation in June of 2012, Gina became a State-licensed Health Officer. Last February (2016), Gina was awarded board certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Advanced Practice Public Health Nurse.

Governor Chris Christie appointed Gina to the New Jersey State Board of Nursing in 2014. This year, she was appointed Chair of the Regulation Committee.

For five years Gina volunteered with the American Red Cross to assist the victims of hurricane Katrina/Rita and the passengers of US Airlines Flight 1549 “Miracle on the Hudson”. She served as the State Nurse Liaison for the American Red Cross in Northern, New Jersey from 2010-2011. In 2015, she joined the Medical Reserve Corp in Hudson County, New Jersey and serve her community and surrounding townships.

Gina has authored articles and chapters in nursing textbooks. Most recently, Gina has authored a quote in the 2nd edition of “The Power of Ten: A Conversational Approach to Tackling the Top Ten Priorities in Nursing” (Hassmiller, S & Mesnik, J, 2016). In 2015, she was a contributing author in the 7th edition of “Health Care Policy and Politics and Health Care” (Gardner, DB., Hopkins Outlaw, F., O’Grady, E., 2015) published in April 2015. In June of 2015, she co-authored an article published in the American Journal of Nursing. “Culturally Competent Care: Using the ESFT Model in Nursing” (Beard, K. Miranda-Diaz, G & E. Gwanmesia, 2015). Gina has authored the ordinances and a policy and procedure manuals for both Ebola and Zika Viruses. She has presented information for agencies around the state.

Currently, Gina is the Director of the West New York, New Jersey Health Department and the Health Officer for the towns of West New York and Guttenberg, New Jersey. She is a Commissioner representing the town of West New York at the Hudson Regional Health Commission. During her tenure, Gina has established partnerships with community-based organizations, schools, local hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
Gina was elected the President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-New Jersey (NAHN-NJ) Chapter in January 2016. As the leader of NAHN-NJ, she is committed to the recruitment and retention of nurses. Furthermore, NAHN-NJ seeks to improve health among Latinos and their communities by building a “culture of health”.

On October 26, 2015, she became one of ten nurses across the nation that was awarded “Breakthrough Leader in Nursing Award” as such, she is an active member of the New Jersey Action Coalition which has invited NAHN NJ to move forward the goals and objectives of the “Future of Nursing Campaign”.

Gina was inducted as a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society-Alpha Tau Chapter at Rutgers University. She is expert faculty and mentor to a nurse (protégé) at the Minority Nurse Leadership Institute at Rutgers University, in September 2016.

Recently, on November 3, 2016, Gina was inducted as a “Fellow” of the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and she will be part of the “Institute for Urban Health”. Later that month on November 16th, Gina was awarded the March of Dimes-NJ Chapter, “Nurse of the Year” award in the Public Health, Occupational Safety and Health Category. Gina is married to her husband Manny is a mother of 4 sons, 5 grandchildren and her dog, Kaiden, the family mascot.