Faculty - Teresa Judge-Ellis

• Mental health in the primary care setting
• Unexplained physical symptoms (somatization)
• Cultural competence for health care professionals

Tess Judge-Ellis received an MSN from Pacific Lutheran University (Family Nurse Practitioner) in 1996 and completed her DNP (with a post-grad Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner emphasis) from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in May 2008. Dr. Judge-Ellis has been on the faculty at the University of Iowa College of Nursing (UI CON) since 1999 and has served as the FNP program coordinator since that time. In 2007, the UI FNP program was ranked 11th by U.S. News & World Report. Her teaching responsibilities are primarily with the graduate nurse practitioner and DNP programs though she regularly serves as a guest lecture on cultural competence to pre-licensure students.

Dr. Judge-Ellis continues to practice two days per week in a rural primary care clinic and she is dually board certified in family practice and psychiatry/mental health. Her interests include all aspects of mental health care in the primary care setting, unexplained physical symptoms (somatization), family practice and cultural competence in health care providers. Dr. Judge-Ellis has had an active leadership role in the Interdisciplinary Culturally Competent Care Initiative (CCCI) with a goal to address the cultural competence needs of faculty, staff and students in the health science colleges of UI. Since 2000, she successfully received more than $90,000 in grant funding for the CCCI enabling countless educational offerings, continuing education, diversity workshops, and support for interdisciplinary community based service-learning activities. In 2005, she was awarded the Friends of Iowa Civil Rights, Inc. Individual Award and the Catalyst Award from the University of Iowa Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity in recognition for her leadership efforts towards developing cultural competence and the elimination of health disparity.

Dr. Judge-Ellis has served as President-elect, President and Past President for the Iowa Nurse Practitioner Society (INPS). She was a leader in the formation of a state NP policy and legislative committee that coordinates legislative efforts and employs a lobbyist on behalf of Iowa NPs. She also served as an active member of this committee from 2000-2004.  Dr. Judge-Ellis has been active nationally and has attended national leadership conferences through both the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners.