A board-certified family nurse practitioner and certified rural health care professional, Dr. Ellis is the owner, manager, and director of the Bedias, Iola, and Singleton (B.I.S.) Community Clinic, where she also practices as a family nurse practitioner. Opened in 2017, it is the sole primary care clinic in Bedias, a small town just outside of Houston, Texas. Before B.I.S, the rural town, which has a population of 400 people, had not had its own primary health care facility in more than 80 years.

A three-time alumna of UTHSC, Dr. Ellis received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1993. In 1995, she completed her Master of Science in Nursing degree. She would go on to complete her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2005. Before completing her graduate and post-graduate studies at UTHSC, Dr. Ellis received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. She specializes in wellness and prevention, while focusing in primary care, AgriLife health, reducing rural health disparities and promoting wellness and prevention.

Dr. Ellis has worked in rural Mississippi, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana. After receiving her doctorate, she directed the UT Health Services Clinic for The School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is also an adjunct professor for Texas A&M University College of Nursing and UTHealth School of Nursing at Houston.

Dr. Ellis is a national consultant in advanced practice nursing with expertise in nurse practitioner utilization, management, and billing. Her professional involvement includes serving as a board member of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Within CCNE, Dr. Ellis has served on the Commission’s Executive Board, Board of Commissioners, Report Review Committee, and Accreditation Review Committee. She is also a site visitor for CCNE. Additionally, Dr. Ellis currently serves on the Texas Association of Rural Health Clinics Board of Directors and the National Association of Rural Health Clinics Policy Committee.

An accomplished author, educator, and lecturer, Dr. Ellis is published in the areas of doctor of nursing practice education, nurse practitioner utilization and billing. She is an adjunct professor for the UTHealth School of Nursing at Houston and served on the DNP advisory board.