Felecia G. Wood, PhD, RN
2025 Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame Inductee
Dr. Felecia G. Wood has spent more than four decades advancing nursing practice, education and research through rural health advocacy. Her passion for serving rural communities began in southeastern Ohio, where she volunteered at a local hospital as a teenager. Torn between careers in nursing and teaching, she ultimately combined both, becoming a nurse educator committed to improving health outcomes for underserved populations.
Dr. Wood earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Alderson Broaddus College and began her clinical career as a staff nurse in rural West Virginia. After relocating to Tuscaloosa in 1980, she joined the faculty at The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing and began commuting during summers to complete her Master of Science in Nursing from West Virginia University. She later earned her PhD in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1988.
Over her 44-year career at The University of Alabama, Dr. Wood taught undergraduate and graduate students in MSN, DNP, EdD and joint PhD programs. She held leadership roles within the College and across the University, and was active in numerous professional organizations. Her service included eight years on the Alabama Board of Nursing, five of which she served as president.
Dr. Wood’s clinical practice continued during summers, where she worked in hospitals and clinics in rural Ohio and California. Her research focused on diabetes self-management among diverse rural populations, emphasizing health literacy and the use of technology. She later expanded her work to include educating nurses and community leaders on health-literate communication and organizational strategies.
Her research has been supported by multiple grants, including a project funded by a private corporation to explore racial disparities in kidney disease and treatment. That work led to the development of a website and mobile app designed to help individuals with chronic kidney disease detect and manage their condition using plain language. She also served as a consultant on a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant focused on COVID-19 health literacy in rural Alabama and advised government agencies on improving communication among health care professionals.
Dr. Wood’s scholarship has been widely disseminated through professional journals and conferences. Her work has helped shape evidence-based strategies for rural health nationwide, ensuring that care is relevant, understandable and accessible to vulnerable populations. She credits her success to the mentorship of state and national nursing leaders, many of whom have been inducted into the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame.
Dr. Wood’s legacy is one of advocacy, innovation and education. Her career reflects a lifelong commitment to improving health outcomes for rural communities and preparing nurses to deliver compassionate, informed care where it is needed most.