Dr. Norma Velasco-Flores graduated from UST College of Nursing Class of 1992. She also graduated Magna Cum Laude from UST Graduate School with a Master of Arts in Nursing. She obtained a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Maryland. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She was also a former faculty member at the University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing. Briefly, she served as an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

During her nursing career in the US, she served as a critical care nurse, nurse manager, and nurse educator in the clinical setting. As a nurse practitioner, she worked at Johns Hopkins Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence, the University of Maryland Advanced Heart Failure, MedStar Washington Hospital Transitions Clinic, and is currently at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Heart Failure Clinic. The Transitions Clinic and Heart Failure Clinic provide high-quality post-discharge care for the heart failure population and serve as a “gateway” in the early diagnosis of infiltrative, inflammatory, and genetic cardiomyopathies. She was also invited to be a Regional Educator for the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Academy. The program has been created with leading HCM experts and provides webinars delivered by global HCM specialists.

In 2023, she was elected as an Associate of the American of Cardiology; this designation is a high honor reserved for cardiovascular team members who have shown commitment to transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health to the highest level. In 2024, she became a Fellow of the Heart Failure Society of America; this credential is a testament to her commitment and dedication to advancing heart failure medicine. She currently serves as a subject matter expert for the Heart Failure Society of America certification program, which involves active participation in examination development activities. Lastly, she volunteers for the Alliance for Patient Access Cardiovascular Disease Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy working group. Alliance for Patient Access is a national network of policy-minded healthcare providers advocating for patient-centered care.