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By Kenya Godette

Give Theo Urbano a degree and he’ll be chasing the next one in no time.

A Special Missions Auxiliary Clinic Flight Commander and Air Force Major stationed at the Pentagon, Urbano secured another diploma this month when he received a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from Old Dominion University.

Urbano earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida in 2011 and a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word in 2013. He received two post-graduate certificates – one in the Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist program and another in the Nurse Educator program – from the Ellmer School of Nursing in 2022 and 2024, respectively. He is a member of the ���������� Alumni Association’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 and in 2025, Urbano will join nearly 500 military and civilian leaders at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama as one of only five nurses in the class.

But Urbano’s true goals extend far beyond his accolades.

“It’s great to have a Ph.D. or a Doctor of whatever,” he said. “But there’s empowerment in doing something with it so that others can benefit from your hard work.”

Born in New Jersey and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Urbano is a first-generation Filipino American who developed a passion for helping others through nursing.

While serving in the Republic of Korea, he rejuvenated the Patient Advocacy Program at the Osan Air Base by mentoring 24 patient advocates who helped to reduce patient complaints and increase patient satisfaction to 96%. During his tour in Germany, Urbano facilitated more than 15,791 patient visits across six health clinics, served a patient population of 3,148 and generated $3.8 million in care. He’s spent much of his career advocating for policies to transform healthcare and enhancing the quality of patient care. One of his most notable projects is a seven-part webinar that teaches self care and resilience strategies to cope with the physical and mental effects of COVID-19.

“It’s great to have a Ph.D. or a Doctor of whatever,” he said. “But there’s empowerment in doing something with it so that others can benefit from your hard work.”

After nearly a decade of military service around the globe, Urbano decided it was time to expand his skills by pursuing a master’s degree. When deciding what concentration he wanted to study, he chose clinical nurse specialist (CNS) – jokingly calling it the Harry Potter “Hufflepuff” of the four advanced practice nursing specialties.

“It’s like the happy to be here kind of deal,” Urbano said, referring to the inviting environment clinical nurse specialists often create when patients arrive for medical services.

After researching available CNS master’s degree programs, Urbano found ���������� – saying the variety of subjects, flexibility in schedule and warmth of the professors is what hooked him.

He formed a bond with Clinical Assistant Professor Pamela Bishop, Ph.D., who served as a close mentor throughout his studies – encouraging him along the way and ensuring he had hands-on experience relevant to his studies. Bishop described Urbano as a “formidable subject matter expert.”

“His ingenuity and strategic forward thinking allow him to anticipate what’s necessary to benefit patient care and the community overall,” she said.

Of all his contributions as a military medical professional – serving in Afghanistan, South Korea, Germany and the U.S. – Urbano cites his time with ����������'s Community Care mobile health clinic as one of his most rewarding experiences.

The clinic, which provides mobile services to rural and underserved areas, gave Urbano the opportunity to educate others on preventing complications from diseases like hypertension and diabetes. A distinct memory for him is the power of telehealth. He recalls being in D.C. while the team's mobile clinic nurse was in Franklin and the patients were in Southampton County. Despite the physical distance, they successfully provided much needed health services virtually.

In his work, Urbano is often told that he’s an atypical clinical nurse specialist, which he attributes to ����������. He says during a time when more people are accessing healthcare, communities need clinicians who can serve the unique needs of an evolving population.

Upon graduation, Urbano is excited to spend more time with his wife, Brea, and two sons. He says he’s a family person and spending time with them is important to him since he never knows when his military service may take him overseas. He’s already gotten a head start by watching “SIX” the musical with his wife, who is a “big Broadway person.”

Urbano is also looking forward to taking more time for his hobbies – hiking and pickleball.

Urbano shared a final note about his perspective on life and something he hopes his children learn from him: “In the face of adversity, as long as you set your mind to it and you have the right support system, you can do anything. And what you put out there into the world is what comes back.”