Ellie's Story
Ellie graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Master’s of Science degree. While in graduate school, she was voted the Outstanding Graduate Student by Sigma Theta Tau, an international nursing honor society. She works part time as a family nurse practitioner, with Dr. Linda Lafferty. She has been a columnist for the Reno Gazette Journal and appeared on Nevada Newsmakers.
A long-time republican activist, Ellie’s involvement includes serving as a county, state, and national delegate. She was a national delegate for both Bush and McCain. She has been a member of the Washoe County Central Committee. She was chosen by the Republican National Committee as state co-chair for their health coalition.
As President of the Mt Rose Republican Women, she took the group from 32 members to 82. Under her leadership the group won five state awards.
She has testified at the legislature on issues such as redistricting, healthcare, and nursing. Additionally, she served on the legislative interim health committee.
Her nursing experience has included acute care in neurosurgery at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), head nurse of GI and Dermatology clinics at San Francisco General, geriatric Assistant Director of Nursing in upstate New York, and research study coordinator at UCSF and the Veteran’s Administration in Reno.
She has served on four governor-appointed state boards: the State AIDS Task force, the Governor’s Maternal and Child Health Advisory Board, the State Board of Nursing, and the Nevada Academy of Health. On a local level, she has served on more than 20 boards, which have included Nevada Woman’s Fund, March of Dimes, HAWC Clinic, Nevada Hispanic Services, Public Broadcasting Station, a State legislative Health Advisory committee, and was Honorary Co-Chair of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Her passion has been advocacy work for underserved populations. She has volunteered to do cancer screening and has taught hundreds of low income women how to do self-breast exams. She has conducted free school physicals and started the first Hispanic nursing scholarship in Nevada. While in graduate school, she helped to start a homeless clinic at the Salvation Army and was a founding member of a school mentoring program. Ellie is also a founding member of Montreux Cares, a group in her community that does charitable work.
Ellie has received several recognition awards for her advocacy work including the 2006 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Excellence, the National La Promesa Award from the Latino Children’s Coalition, the Attorney General’s Nevada Women’s Role Model from Frankie Sue Del Pappa, the March of Dimes Judith Seale Nursing Award, UNR Community Health Sciences Outstanding Alumnae, Truckee Meadows Community College Latina Role Model, and many more senate and congressional awards.
She was recently asked to write a chapter about her life in the 6th edition of a book, entitled, Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care. The book has won 11 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year awards, and is used widely in all levels of nursing programs across the country. She was recently appointed to a Presidential commission to explore the development of an American Latino art museum in Washington, DC.
Ellie has been married to Stephen Lopez-Bowlan for 20 years and has a grown daughter, Roxanne. Her hobbies include golf, photography, drawing, and cooking for huge crowds.