Getting To Know Your Site Supervisor- Part 2

Eileen Lowery

Respiratory Health Association, Senior Director Programs

Educational Background: RN, MSN

Interesting Fact: Turtles are one of my favs – see quote below

If you could be any animal, what would be and why? My dog – she is always happy!

What is your favorite song of all time? It’s an album, Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life”

What is your favorite quote? Slow and steady wins the race

Eileen looks forward to working alongside and mentoring an enthusiastic member on a variety of COPD, radon and tobacco programs. She hopes her member will gain a strong passion for advancing lung health awareness and education, an understanding of the elements of program delivery and an appreciation for those living with chronic disease.

Erica Plaisier

Erie Family Health Center, Manager-Community Programs

Educational Background: MS in Health and Exercise Studies from Miami University

Interesting Fact: As a child, I travelled to all 50 states with my family.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why? At this point in my life, I’d take a random island, anywhere. One where I could relax, eat great food, run on the beach and read a book, uninterrupted.

What is your favorite quote? “Be kind and be truthful and your life will be fruitful.”

Erica always looks forward to getting new AmeriCorps members linked in to health promotion programs and services at Erie, and seeing them develop professionally over the course of the service year. She hopes that Erie’s members will have a diverse experience during their service term and get to see first-hand the challenges and triumphs that exist in a public health setting.

Marilyn Winters

Heartland International Health Centers, Director Health Center Operations

Educational Background: AA Medical Assistant, Bachelor Business Management

Interesting Fact: She has run in the Chicago Marathon for the last four years.

What did you always want to be when you grew up?  The Boss

What is your dream meal?  A Meal with no Calories

What is your favorite quote? “When all have been said and done, more has been said than done” Lou Holtz.

Marilyn is looking forward to the development and implementing of a new cultural literacy tool and she hopes her CHC member will acquire an even deeper appreciation and understanding of diverse cultures and how literacy impacts healthcare.

Dulce Quintero

Erie Family Health Center, Adult Care Coordinator

Educational Background: Psychology and Spanish

Interesting Fact: I love our rainbows!

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why? I really believe that we should travel the world! I want to go to Japan, Philippines, Peru, and Africa. All over J

What is one thing you are afraid of? Drowning

Dulce is eager to meet to her CHC member and not only welcome her to Erie but ensure she has a great experience. She is hoping her member will leave with a better idea of what their professional passions, goals and commitments will be for their future endeavors.

Carol Hammell

Heartland International Health Center,

Educational Background: BSN, MPH

Interesting Fact: I am an identical twin.

If you could be any animal, what would be and why? A bird because I would love to soar!

What is your favorite quote? “It is what it is.”

Carol is looking forward to her CHC member providing sexual health education to the PE classes. She really hopes her CHC member will have her passions fueled.

Catherine Nwileh- Ibeagha

American Cancer Society-Stroger Hospital, Clinical Patient Navigator

Educational Background: BA-English, MSW

What did you always want to be when you grew up?
A TV newscaster

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be?
Port Harcourt, Nigeria; My son lives there.

If you could be any animal, what would be and why? Elephant. My 2 year old calls it “enefent” and is fascinated by them.

What is your favorite song of all time? “Thou Art Worthy”- El Shaddai

What is your dream meal? Lobster, crab, shrimp, oyster, fresh fish, periwinkles and mussels in my native soup with fufu and some green vegetables on the side.

What is your favorite quote? …For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

What is one thing you are afraid of? Really, nothing.

Catherine looks forward to seeing the foundations laid last year being built upon and expanded.  She wishes her CHC member’s vision will be expanded to see the needs within their community and continue to meet those needs.

Sally Goodman

Erie Family Health, Health Promotion Associate

Educational Background: University of Minnesota- Twin Cities; Global Studies- Sustainability in Latin America

Interesting Fact: I did one season of competitive weight lifting in high school. I HATED it J, turns out, I am not very strong.

What did you always want to be when you grew up? A bus driver, not so much after riding the CTA.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be? Iceland. Beautiful and diverse nature! (hot springs, mountains, glaciers, ect)

If you could be any animal, what would be and why? A lemur. Leaping!

What is your favorite song of all time? “Crocodile Rock”- Elton John

What is your dream meal? Guacamole and fresh tortilla chips; homemade macaroni and cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts; my mom’s peanut butter cake.

 What is your favorite quote? “Well, if it isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” -Kurt Vonnegut

What is one thing you are afraid of? CLOWNS! Yikes.

Sally is really looking forward to being surrounded by young, energetic, bright CHC members.  She hopes members will learn the pros/cons within the public field and will leave feeling impactful and prepared for whatever is next in their lives. She also wants to ensure her members enjoyed their experience and had fun along the way.

Katheryn Stafford-Hudson

Chicago Public Schools, Student Health & Wellness Specialist

Educational Background:  BA - Chicago State University, MPA – Roosevelt University

Interesting Fact:  She was a fork-lift driver in college.

What did you always want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be an elementary school teacher

 If you could be any animal, what would it be? I would be an eagle, because it soars about the earth. What a cool perspective to have.

Katheryn looks forward to watching the vision program expand and developing a process to address students that are referred for follow-up services. Her CHC member speaks Spanish, so she is eager to learn some conversational words/phrases from her and wants her CHC member to understand how to work successfully within a bureaucracy.

Getting To Know Our Site Supervisors-Part 1

Stay tuned for more site supervior's info, coming soon!

        Stephanie Kollar

Erie Family Health Center, Adult Care Coordinator

Educational Background: BA University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana

Interesting Fact: She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala for two years.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why? I would love to go to Thailand because of the breathtaking beaches.

What is your dream meal? I was 17, in Rome and had melon wrapped in prosciutto, it was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.

Stephanie is looking forward to working with her CHC member on evaluation methods for their diabetes groups.  She hopes her member enjoys her experience of being able to work closely with patients in a unique Chicago neighborhood.

Sandra S. Block

Illinois College of Optometry

 OD M Ed, Professor of Optometry, Medical Director, School based Vision Clinics

 

Educational Background: North Park College             Bachelor of Science    (Natural Science)

Illinois College of Optometry                          Bachelor of Science   (Visual Science)

Illinois College of Optometry                          Doctor of Optometry

Illinois College of Optometry                          Clinical Fellowship in Pediatrics

National Louis University                                Master in Education

University of Illinois Chicago,                        

School of Public Health                                               8/01 – Present  Candidate for Ph. D

(MCH Epidemiology)

 

Interesting Fact: I have been working for Special Olympics Inc in Washington DC as a Global Clinical Advisor of Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes.  This is a public health program designed to teach people to provide eye care of children and adults with intellectual disability around the world.  Through this position I have been able to travel the world from Africa to India to South America to Europe.  Traveling around has been a blast!          

          

What did you always want to be when you grew up?  I always wanted to be a veterinarian.  Unfortunately, I got bit on the face and needed rabies shots.  I found out that I was allergic to them and was strongly encouraged to choose another profession.  My father was an optometrist and he loved what he was doing and now so do I.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why?  Spain – it is beautiful, the people are warm and friendly, and the food is to die for!  My husband and I have been there four times and have seen different areas each time and we keep saying we want to go back.

Janette Muir Smith

Heartland International Health Center, Advanced Practice Nurse

Educational Background: Masters in Public Health Nursing, Family Practice

Interesting Fact: I have two sets of twins

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why? Brazil, I speak Portuguese and always wanted to visit. Good food, music and beautiful country

What is your dream meal? Sushi

This service year, Janette, looks forward to helping her CHC member become more effective and wants her member to really walk away from this experience with a deep appreciation for school-based health care.

Virginia Reising

Erie Family Health Center, Coordinator of Adolescent Health

 

Educational Background: Bachelor’s of Nursing from University of New Hampshire, Masters of Public Health Nursing from Rush University

Interesting Fact: My name used to include a state and a capital (Virginia Montgomery) and because my name is the same as a state I was forced to study the state of Virginia for my third grade state report.

What did you always want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be the athletic trainer for the Chicago Bulls but when I realized that was a long shot I decided to be a nurse and now I take care of people who are much needier than Michael Jordan!

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why? I really want to take all my best friends on a bike trip through Tuscany, Italy.

If you could be any animal, what would be and why? I would be a dog. I don’t know why but I just love dogs and they seem like the nicest pets.

What is your favorite song of all time? Hmmmm….Defiantly something by Garth Brooks but I can’t pick just one song.

What is your dream meal? Caprese Salad (Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella) YUM!

What is your favorite quote? “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it”

What is one thing you are afraid of? I honestly can’t think of anything I am truly afraid of.

Virginia is looking forward to watching this year’s CHC member make the projects their own while building on the hard work of last year’s members. She hopes the members will recognize the hugely positive impact they are having on the students at Amundsen and Lake View and the staff they are working.

Laurie Odell

Heartland International Health Center, Community Relations Manager

Educational Background: BA, minor in health education

Interesting Fact: I have 2 beautiful granddaughters!

If you could go anywhere in the world where would be and why? Cuba, went there in 1970 to cut sugar cane, I would love to return

If you could be any animal, what would be and why? A horse. They’re beautiful.

This service year, Laurie is looking forward to her CHC member providing lots of great health education to Uplift students and she really wants her member to develop a more powerful passion for serving the people with the fewest options and resources.

Katherine Y. Tossas-Milligan

American Cancer Society, Cancer Screening Manager

 

Educational Background:  I have a BS in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, a MS in microbiology and immunology from University of Michigan and I’m currently in the process of getting a PhD in Epidemiology at the UIC School of Public Health.

Interesting Fact: I just finished taking part on an online fitness reality TV show! It was fun.  That’s all I’ll share.

What did you always want to be when you grew up?  I wanted to be a doctor from the time I remember.  When I was 19, I had an internship with the Department of Defense working on a bioremediation project which changed my path.  I became interested in research as a way to reach many more people that I could ever reach as a medical doctor.  The next summer, when I was due to take the MCAT’s, I decided I wanted to become a research scientist instead and ended up going to University of Michigan to get a research degree.  14 years after working as a scientist, I realized my work was still too far from the communities I wanted to impact, so I quit my job and went back to school to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology.  It was during this program that the opportunity to be a health educator for the American Cancer Society at Stroger came along, which led to the position I am today.

What is one thing you are afraid of?  I am afraid of balloons…. Don’t ask me why!  My three children pay the consequences each year at their balloon-less birthday partiesJ.

Katherine is looking forward to her CHC members running the program smoothly and seeing the colon cancer screening rates increase across the state, particularly among uninsured populations. She hopes her members learn about the challenges and rewards of implementing a multi-institutional education and navigation program to benefit those most in need.



Upward Bound Group Comes to Chicago

Post written by Brigette M., Program Assistant and Carly Kruse, CHC member

Chicago Health Corps was excited to be contacted by Upward Bound at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse.  The Upward Bound group helps high school students, who are eligible, prepare for success in college.  The Upward Bound website states, “A national study showed that Upward Bound graduates are four times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree than students of similar backgrounds who did not participate in UB!”

Upward Bound students and staff serving together to help better the community.

With the help of CHC member, Carly Kruse, we were able to host an engaged and energetic group of 11 students, and inform them of the career opportunities in the health field.

            We met the Upward Bound Group at Heartland Health Center- Hibbard. The students were given a tour of the school-based health center and introduced to clinicians.  Afterwards, they participated in a discussion about the positives and negatives of a school-based health center and explored their overall opinions of the center.  Then, the students participated in a service project, and did a phenomenal job cleaning up around Hibbard Elementary.

                                    

           

                    Lastly, a diverse health career panel shared their experiences and their educational journeys, along with career opportunities beyond exam rooms and health clinics. Together, the panel consisted of Heartland Health Center's director of school-based health centers Dana Traub, Alternatives counselor Kelli Blanchard, Chicago Public School's student health specialist Megan Erskine, Heartland Health Center's director of community relations Laurie Odell, and PHIMC's very own intern Brigette Mazurkiewicz. The panelists also touched on the positives and negatives of working within a major metropolitan city like Chicago.  The student’s seemed to walk away with the main take home messages of “Anything is possible; don’t be afraid to network; don’t be afraid of change or of exploring different majors of study.” We had a great day with the Upward Bound Group and look forward to serving with them again in the future. We wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors.



"Cleaning the world, one school at a time," chuckled a few Upward Bound students.



End of Term Ceremony 2012

Post written by Brigette M, CHC Program Assistant

As the 2011-2012 service term came to an end, a congratulatory celebration was necessary for our Chicago Health Corps members in order to express the appreciation for all their hard work and dedication to service throughout the year.

CHC'c SUNSHINE theme during National AmeriCorps week was integrated into the ceremony thanks to site supervisors Eileen Lowery of Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and Carolyn Perry from the American Cancer Society.

    



          

               

                

                 Members and their site supervisors were invited to join us at WISHBONE for a delicious, cozy, family style breakfast. Each member received a recognition certificate and a Chicago inspired care package presented by Program Director, Karen Berg.  Karen and each site supervisor shared positive words about each member through what we called “SUNSHINE moments.”  Their stories about the members were inspiring and portrayed the impact they had made within the community and organizations which they served. 

                 As a reflection of their service term, the members worked together to create a slideshow to share with  the guests at the ceremony.  The slideshow represented the memories that will never be forgotten and truly showed the strong bonds and lifelong friendships that were made among the members.  

          

            Although it is never easy to say good-bye, the ceremony was an enjoyable event filled with many moments of laughter, tears, and appreciation. The Chicago Health Corps program staff congratulates its members for improving access to health services in the communities they served.  We wish them the best of luck and know they will all accomplish great things!