Ethnogeriatrics: Honoring Elderly Cultural Preferences in Healthcare

Latasha Ellis, PhD, LCSW, LISW-CP, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, entrepreneur, and educator with over 24 years of post-graduate experience in the field of medical social work and mental health. For over 16 years, she has committed her career to working in an acute care hospital serving patients with chronic illness, more specifically patients with end stage renal disease, cancer, cardiac disease, and chronic lung disease. During her tenure, she developed the hospital’s psychosocial oncology program which provides programs and services to assist oncology patients in adjusting to the emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. Currently, Dr. Ellis serves as a regional mental health director for a national advanced primary care company. In this role, she works closely with primary care providers to develop collaborative care programs to help patients manage chronic illness, understand advanced care planning, and bridge the gap between physical and emotional health.

Dr. Ellis values the impact of culture on healthcare practices, outcomes, and the patient-provider relationship. Her research titled, Culture in Practice: African American Doctor-Patient Dyad, explored the subjective experience of African American general practitioners as they treated same race patients with depression.

In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. Ellis is a faculty member at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She has also presented live seminars on topics like “Managing Challenging Patient and Family Behaviors” and “Challenging Geriatric Behaviors.”

Dr. Ellis holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from Morgan State University, a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Ellis also holds a Certificate of Clinical Supervision from the National Association of Social Workers, and a Certificate in Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care from the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Latasha Ellis maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with Marathon Health, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and Walden University. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and a consulting fee from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Latasha Ellis is a member of the American Association of Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, the Association of Oncology Social Workers, and the National Association of Social Workers.