Melanie C. Elliott-Eller, RN, MSN, CHTP, has specialized in all aspects of cardiac care throughout her 28-year nursing career and has been a colleague of Dean Ornish, MD, since 1991. She has been employed by the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., for the past 14 years as the director of nursing services, director of site operations, clinical nursing research consultant, and project director. She served as national site consultant for Lifestyle Advantage, LLC from Highmark and Dean Ornish.
Elliott-Eller is an adjunct faculty member for the MSN Integrative Health Practices Program at Dominican University of California and a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner in private practice.
A cardiovascular clinical nurse specialist by training, Elliott-Eller received a BS in nursing at the University of South Carolina and an MS in nursing at the University of Delaware. Her past professional experience includes nursing management; quality assurance and accreditation preparation; adult cardiovascular home health care and case management; community wellness education; cardiac rehabilitation; and emergency and cardiac critical care. She is a member of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the American Heart Association, the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, the American Holistic Nurses Association, and Healing Touch International Inc.