Spotlighting the Career of CDR Akara Diann Ingram
Biography Contributed by: LT Brandy Cloud
This Nursing Spotlight is brought to you by CDR Nichole Vetter, LT Alyssa Givens, and LT Laura Reynolds

CDR Akara Ingram commissioned in January 2010 as a staff nurse with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Throughout her career CDR Ingram has been a dedicated nurse focusing on the medical needs of vulnerable populations. Currently, she serves as the Chief of the Medical Services Section within the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) with the Assistant Secretary for Readiness and Preparedness (ASPR). Her previous positions included supervisory positions and non-supervisory positions with the US Marshal Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and ICE Health Service Corps, where she improved care delivery to patients the agencies served and met the mission of the Corps.

CDR Ingram received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2001 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After receiving her nursing degree, she spent eight years working in community health. In 2009, she completed her Master of Public Health with a focus on Health promotion from the University of Missouri-Columbia. As a dedicated nurse with a passion for life-long learning, she is currently working on her post-graduate certificate in Global Health Engagement from the Uniformed Services University. Additionally, CDR Ingram maintains certification as a trauma nurse and a correctional health professional.

In 2010, CDR Ingram began her career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons at MDC Brooklyn. During her time with the agency she provided nursing care to the detainees and worked with the Chief Nurse Committee to assist in developing nursing care standards within the Bureau of Prisons. CDR Ingram transferred to ICE Health Service Corps in 2011, where in less than a year, she was promoted to Assistant Health Services Administrator. Her leadership and excellence continued when she transferred to the US Marshalls Service in 2015, where after two months, she was promoted to Assistant Medical Chief/Medical Services Branch/Agency Liaison. Since 2018 CDR Ingram has served as a member of the NDMS Management Team and backup for the NDMS Director . She supervises steady-state programmatic and response/event activities essential to meeting the mission of the ASPR. In her position, CDR Ingram directs the policy implementation, planning, response, and budgetary functions necessary to provide care to patients in communities that need it most.

CDR Ingram has been as devoted to the community that she lives in as well as the mission of the Corps. She initiated fund raising and community service activities aimed at improving the health and engagement of the community. She has been involved in many community programs and initiatives to improve health and wellness in her community, and she has organized support missions for deployed PHS officers. CDR Ingram enjoys serving the community and improving the health and wellness of those in the community while representing the Corps.

CDR Ingram is the mother of 3 boys and they are her biggest source of support and love. To her, being a mother highlights the importance of finding a work-life balance. CDR Ingram has made her family a priority and makes every effort to be present for the events in her sons’ lives. She sets aside time for her family when she is not focused on work, and in return, her family supports her when she must work long hours on projects. She encourages all officers to make work-life balance a priority and often mentors junior officers on the importance of planning for deployments and contingencies that allow officers to meet the mission while caring for their families. She uses the quote from Heather Schuck, “You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life,” as a reminder that prioritizing work life balance is essential for career success.

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