Alumni spotlight: Colonel Leana Fox, BSN '79

Growing up in Detroit, Leana Fox remembers her parents saying she would make a great nurse. “I believed them,” she said. “I think they saw the nurturing characteristics in me at a young age, and they had a strong influence in shaping my career.” 

At Murray-Wright High School, Fox enrolled in the nursing assistant program and completed clinical rotations at Henry Ford Hospital — an experience that confirmed what her parents had known all along. “I loved it, and I knew I found my passion,” said Fox. “I wanted to help people when they were sick, injured and at their most vulnerable.”

She was recruited to the University of Michigan and enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program in 1975. As one of the few black students in her class, Fox formed close relationships at U-M and received life-changing mentorship from former Dean of Minority Affairs, Dr. Barbara Norman.

“We didn’t have a lot of opportunities growing up, so Michigan opened my eyes,” she said. “I learned so much about economic, religious, gender, educational, race and ethnic diversity. I realized a world of possibilities and bigger dreams.” 

Fox graduated from U-M in 1979 ready to start her dream job, but said she was still struggling to find herself. Three years later, while working the night shift as a traveling nurse in Farmington, New Mexico, an inspirational encounter made her consider a different career path.

“I was so impressed by the charge nurse in our unit,” said Fox. “She was young, friendly and had tremendous leadership skills. I said, ‘There’s something about you,’ and she told me she used to be an Army nurse. I had this perception of what an Army nurse was supposed to be, and she was the exact opposite of that.”

Soon after that conversation, Fox met with an Army recruiter, and in 1982 she was commissioned as a first lieutenant, beginning a distinguished 30-year military career that would lead to opportunities and accomplishments she never thought possible.

Fox served in a number of roles during her time in the Army. She was head nurse of the Intensive Care and Post Anesthesia Care units in Germany and Korea; a Reserve Officer Training Corps nurse counselor in San Francisco; personnel management officer in Virginia; battalion commander of Army Medical Recruiting units in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Boston and Pennsylvania; chief nurse for the Health Promotion and Wellness Directorate at the Pentagon; and a nurse on the Medical Deployment Support Command in Hawaii.

Among her long list of military experiences, one in particular was a dream come true. From 1992 to 1996, Fox served as senior White House nurse during President Bill Clinton’s first term — chosen for the position out of more than 200 highly qualified candidates. In this role, she provided care for the president, first family and vice president at home and abroad while coordinating advanced medical contingency planning. She also worked in the White House clinic, caring for senior leadership, family members and high-profile visitors.

The Army also helped Fox further her education, funding her Master of Science in Nursing degree at the University of Hawaii and her Master of Strategic Studies degree in residence at the United States Army War College.

Fox retired from the Army in 2012 as a colonel. And while she didn’t know what to expect at first, she’s confident that joining the U.S. military was one of the best decisions she has ever made. “I initially signed up for the adventure and benefits, but soon my commitment, dedication and honor to serve our nation became unquestionable,” Fox said. “I loved being a soldier, and I will always remember the great people I met and served with along the way.”

At the conclusion of her military career, Fox returned to civilian life but stayed active in the medical field, working as vice president and chief nurse executive at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, until 2016. She now enjoys spending more time with her parents, who planted the seeds of her success so many years ago.

Fox’s accomplished career took her around the world, but the University of Michigan still holds a special place in her heart. In 2005, she returned to U-M to receive the School of Nursing Alumni Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award and deliver the keynote address to the school’s graduating class.

“Follow your passion,” she said. “Because the journey to your destination is worth it.”