She completed both her undergraduate and nursing education at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1988. She was honored with the Dr. William Fitzsimmons Public Health Award in 2013. Ellen strives to involve her patients in their care as much as possible and communicate in ways that reduce confusion and improve patient understanding. By improving their understanding of how to maintain good health and control diseases, she hopes to empower them to make healthy decisions. In her leisure time, Ellen enjoys gardening.