Mary Ellen Wright through research, education, practice, and service has promoted a caring healthcare environment particularly for women and children experiencing complex health issues, who may experience disparity due to stigmatized conditions, such as substance use, or reside in an under-served rural region, such as Appalachia. Her multiple funded research studies grounded in caring science, have resulted in the development of Kratom umbilical cord tissue toxicology, research on the effects on mothers and infants of exposure to Kratom, multiple educational programs for medical students, nurse practitioners and social workers on topics on substance use, was an associate producer of a documentary film and authored a book on the experiences of mothers with addiction, that have been adopted internationally in hospital systems and educational programs. Dr. Wright is an assistant professor at Clemson University, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Human Caring, leader of the Appalachian American Alliance for Nurse Practitioners, leader of Maternal Child/Substance Use for the Clemson University Center for Research on Healthcare Disparities, Board Member of the Anne Boykin Institute. Dr. Wright earned her BSN from Duke University, MSN from The Catholic University of America, and PhD from Florida Atlantic University.