Dr. Severson is responsible for daily practice of nurses throughout the medical center and community clinics in addition to programmatic oversight for Social Work, Community Living Centers, Nutrition & Food Service and Sterile Processing Service.

Prior to joining Milwaukee VA, Dr. Severson served as the Associate Vice President for the Office of Instruction at the Wisconsin Technical College System Office, leading the review and approval of all post-secondary educational program curriculum offered by the sixteen technical colleges across Wisconsin. Prior to that role, Dr. Severson served as the Associate Dean of Nursing at Waukesha County Technical College.

Other roles in health care service include several leadership and management roles in both the inpatient and outpatient settings at Portland VA Medical Center and, most recently, at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wisconsin.

Clinically, after starting her health care career as a lab technician, Dr. Severson acquired extensive intensive care and emergency department experience in a variety of settings including pediatric intensive care unit, cardiovascular surgery recovery and a Level I trauma center emergency department/intensive care unit.

Dr. Severson earned a bachelor’s degree Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a master’s in Nursing from Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon and doctorate in Educational Leadership from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. Annette, with her husband of 30-years, are the proud parents of two grown sons (a paramedic/firefighter and active duty soldier,) and enjoys craft work (quilting, knitting, stained glass, scrapbooking) and spending time “Up North”.