I’m Elisa Runions, a nurse practitioner and a lifelong advocate for compassionate, dignity‑centered care. My calling began in 1984 as an EMS Explorer Scout, and over the decades since, I’ve served in nearly every corner of healthcare—ICU, NICU, hospice, urgent care, and the ER. Each role has shaped the clinician I am today. I became an EMT in 1986 after graduating from Columbia State Community College, earned my paramedic certification in 1989, and later completed my Associate of Science in Nursing through Excelsior Nursing School. In 2015, I achieved a dream I had carried for many years by becoming a nurse practitioner through Frontier Nursing University. Caring for others has always been the center of my life. I approach every patient with a servant’s heart, especially those who are vulnerable physically, emotionally, or socially. My commitment to compassionate care is rooted in decades of witnessing how deeply people need to feel seen, respected, and supported during their most challenging moments. Outside of my work, my greatest joy is my family. After 35 years apart, I reunited with and married my high school sweetheart. Together, we’ve built a beautifully blended family of nine children, sixteen grandchildren, and five dogs—each one adding love, laughter, and meaning to our lives.