Tunisia Ellis, a five-time gold medal winner at the Nebraska state track meet, recently landed the biggest first-place finish of her life. On May 11, she became the first African-American to receive the master’s degree in clinical perfusion education from UNMC’s School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP) — the top perfusion program in the United States. 
“I was a month into our program when I happened to take a long look at all the photos of past graduates in the perfusion office,” Ellis said. “I didn’t see any people of color and later asked director Al Stammers if any blacks had ever graduated from the school. Al said, ‘No, Tunisia, I guess you will be the first one.’ And Al didn’t say it like it was a question. I appreciated his confidence in me and the possibility that I could be the first black to graduate began to sink in.”
Ellis is a 1994 graduate of Bellevue East High School and a 1998 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in biology. UNMC’s clinical perfusion program was a demanding 21-month combination of classroom education and four clinical rotations in Omaha; Peoria, Ill., London, England and Kansas City, Mo.
Clinical perfusionists play a key role in cardiovascular surgery. In a process called cardiopulmonary bypass, they monitor complex life support machines that serve as the patient’s heart and lungs, during such highly intensive procedures such as open-heart surgery and liver transplants. In 2000, there were approximately 3,300 perfusionists in the nation. There are no available statistics on how many African-Americans are clinical perfusionists, but when Ellis attended a major national conference of perfusionists last year, she only encountered one other African-American.
“I chose clinical perfusion at UNMC because of its great reputation, master’s degree program, location and financial accessibility,” Ellis said. “My mother was a registered nurse before she passed away when I was 15. My sister, Tracey, is a registered nurse at NHS Clarkson Hospital, and my boyfriend, Marlon, is a surgical first assistant, also at Clarkson. 
“I felt that perfusion would be the field for me because I like the opportunity to work as a team in the surgical areas, as well as autonomously. This profession has great travel, technical training and financial benefits. Although not a well-known field to the general public, clinical perfusionists are well respected in the medical community.”
Ellis might well have added, especially those who graduate from UNMC. Her peers across the nation know that Ellis has graduated from the premier perfusion program. After leading the program for 10 years, Al Stammers left UNMC in January to return to private practice in Pennsylvania.
The UNMC curriculum has provided students with the background to score 30 to 40 points higher than the national average on board exams. In the past 10 years, 100 percent of UNMC clinical perfusion students have passed these exams on their first attempt, versus a national pass rate of 60 to 70 percent.
In June, Ellis will begin her professional career with a team of perfusionists in Orlando, Fla. She will be the 17th perfusionist on the staff and the first African-American. Her medical group serves four surrounding hospitals and annually assists more than 4,000 heart surgeries. Although she had a number of interviews lined up around the country, the Orlando interview was the first and only one necessary.
“The hospital administrators, surgeons, perfusionists — everybody — welcomed us with open arms,” Ellis said. “I am well trained on the equipment they use. I wanted a high volume medical group where I would have the opportunity to do two, maybe even three surgeries a day.
“In addition, the staff introduced Marlon and I to members of the local Urban League. They really showed us the community and gave us a real sense of what life will be like in Orlando. There is a wonderful social environment awaiting us. And I love being on the East Coast with easy access to the beach. Orlando was everything I wanted.
“I’ve been helped and encouraged by so many people in Omaha. My father traveled for many years in the military, but he convinced me to stay in Omaha for my education — that my opportunities here were excellent. He was so right. This town has been good to me and I go forward thankful for all the blessings I have received. I feel I have done UNMC and my community proud.”
Photos in descending order: 1) Tunisia Ellis; 2) Ellis with Al Stammers.