Alisa is currently an Associate Professor of Advance Practice and Doctoral Studies at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Nursing where she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree with a specialty in public health leadership in 2007. Alisa earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in family practice from Vanderbilt University in 1997 and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Belmont University in 1982. Alisa is certified as an Advanced Public Health Nurse by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. 

Alisa is a seasoned public health nurse and leader having served as the Director of the Shelby County Health Department from 2016 to 2021, leading the local public health COVID-19 pandemic response. As a public health nurse with the Metro Public Health Department in Nashville, Alisa served in a variety of roles from ranging from a district nurse to division director to bureau director from 1983 to 2013. From 2012 to 2016, Alisa led Nemours’ Pediatric Health System transition to population management and patient centered medical home.

Alisa has dedicated her career to creating conditions that promote health and well-being for all people. She has more than thirty-five years of population health experience; having led an array of public health programs and innovative initiatives including Nemours’ 3.9 million-dollar, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Award and Nashville’s 7.5 million-dollar, Communities Putting Prevention to Work Award.

Alisa serves on the  national committee to revise the American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Public Health Nursing Practice. Alisa was elected TPHA president in 2020.  She is an active member of the Tennessee Action Coalition, promoting the role of nurses in achieving a culture of health. She provides a public health and nursing perspective while serving on several local boards including the United Way of the Mid-South, Community Foundation and Church Health Boards.