Why patients choose HMS

Elizabeth Settle, DNP, AG-ACNP | Headache & Migraine Specialist | Owner & Founder, HMS

I was raised in Middle Tennessee, and caring for this community has always been personal to me.

I began my clinical career in a busy Nashville emergency department after completing my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Middle Tennessee State University in 2013. That environment taught me how to think quickly, recognize complexity, and advocate hard for patients who needed someone in their corner.

I went on to earn my Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) with an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) specialty from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2018. After graduation, I joined the trauma critical care team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where I cared for patients with traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and complex neurological conditions.

From there I transitioned to an inpatient Neurohospitalist position for Ascension Saint Thomas West, and eventually into an outpatient Neurology role for Ascension Medical Group —where I have been practicing for the past five years. This is where I became deeply familiar with the full spectrum of headache conditions and with the treatments that actually work.

I also happen to be a migraine patient myself. For most of my life I've experienced firsthand how disruptive, isolating, and misunderstood migraines can be and how rarely the healthcare system leaves patients feeling truly heard.

The combination of clinical expertise and lived experience is what shaped HMS.

I founded Headache and Migraine Specialists because I believe people with headache disorders deserve a provider who has the training to help them and the time to actually do it. Every patient I see gets a thorough evaluation, a treatment plan built specifically for them, and a specialist who is engaged in their care over time, not just at one rushed appointment.

If you've been told your migraines are just something you have to live with, I'd like to offer a different perspective.