Ellen R. Nelson, Ph.D.
Ellen Nelson is Managing Director of MedMetrics Health Partners and Public Sector Partners. Dr. Nelson has an impressive career that has traversed both the public and private sectors. She has dedicated much of her career to working with at risk and vulnerable populations.
Prior to joining MedMetrics, Dr. Nelson was a Cabinet Level Executive reporting directly to the Governor as the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation & Hospitals. The Department, with a budget of 500 million dollars, serves over 30,000 Rhode Islanders with special healthcare needs. Dr. Nelson directed statewide policy planning, regulation, contracting, financing and delivery systems of care. In addition, Dr. Nelson also served as special advisor to the Governor on hospital mergers and acquisitioning.
Previously, as Associate Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Dr. Nelson was the Chief Statewide Executive responsible for overseeing the four clinical DPH Bureaus: the public health hospital system, State Laboratory, Communicable Diseases and State Operated Pharmacy (SOPS).
Some of Dr. Nelson\'s other positions include Vice President, Blue Cross/Blue Shield Rhode Island, President of The Nelson Management Company in Rhode Island and Chief Executive Officer of the Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, a Brown University affiliated hospital, also in Rhode Island.
Among other awards, Dr. Nelson received a Woodrow Wilson Foundation fellowship, as a Danforth Doctoral Scholar in ethics and public policy.
Dr. Nelson received a Ph.D. from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. She also holds a master\'s degree in Social Work (M.S.W.) from Stony Brook University, and a Bachelor\'s degree from Fairfield University.