When you work with Elizabeth Francis as your psychiatric provider, you are working with someone who has a lifelong history of strong discipline, ambition and purpose-oriented objectives. Growing up in St. Louis, MO, Elizabeth was heavily involved in sports and piano. While attending Cox College in Springfield, MO for her B.S. in Nursing, she was the president of her nursing class for 2 ½ years.

While pursuing advanced studies at Duke University – of the most highly regarded graduate nursing programs in the United States – she sought to become not just a psychiatric nurse practitioner, but also a doctorate in nursing practice, or DNP. This qualifies her not only to see psychiatric patients, but also to conduct and lead research programs.

“I spent most of my career prior to Duke as a nurse in emergency departments,” Elizabeth explained. “I’ve also spent considerable time in a variety of psychiatric settings, seeing patients across the lifespan in both inpatient and outpatient settings.”

One unique aspect of Elizabeth’s career to date is the complexity of the patients. For example, she has worked with youth who have attempted suicide at both Bert Nash (Lawrence, KS) and at Children’s Mercy in Kansas city. During her graduate studies, she was sent to Alaska to work with Alaska Behavioral Health.

“Alaska is a home to a vulnerable population of patients with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, along with medical comorbidities such as heart disease and diabetes,” Elizabeth said. “I saw patients who had not showered in months, and likely had not had a decent meal in days.”

In Alaska, Elizabeth witnessed patients who had suffered an immense amount of trauma, yet there was unmistakable evidence of resilience.

“I walked away each day humbled,” she said. “But it also brought invigoration and confidence.”

Because of the intensity of Elizabeth’s work to date, she specializes in the more complex psychiatric conditions. This includes bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, trauma and substance use disorders.

“I love my job,” Elizabeth said. “I enjoy psychiatry being both an art and a science. The artistry lies in our ability to translate complex science into hope for patients and their loved ones. I am fascinated by the complexity of the brain and the variety of ways the patient and I can concordantly come together and formulate a plan to recover. Many times, I see people tangibly get better over time. I get to play a small role in their healing journeys, and this is the greatest honor.”