Carmen Velásquez is the founder of Alivio Medical Center and the former Executive Director. In the mid-1980s, she was very passionate and involved with issues surrounding barriers to healthcare. Troubled by the fact that the medical needs of so many Mexicans living in Pilsen, Little Village and Back of the Yards were being severely neglected, she garnered the support of fellow Latino community members and spearheaded a drive called Project Alivio.
Ms.Velásquez and Dr. Ann Garcelon, a colleague of Ms.Velásquez and former Alivio board member, approached Mercy Hospital’s CEO, Sister Sheila Lyne. When Sister Sheila supported the creation of a community health center to address the issues of access to health care, the work of Alivio Medical Center was initiated.
Teresa Fraga
President; Treasurer, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council
Patient board member
Peter Martinez
First Vice President
Patient board member
Elizabeth Aquino, RN, PhD
Second Vice President; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Nursing University of Illinois at Chicago
Antonio Guillen
Treasurer; SVP Commercial Loans-Diverse Markets Manager, Wintrust Financial
Scott Cruz, Esq.
Secretary; Attorney at Law, Labor & Employment Group, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Members
Lourdes F. Diaz
Vice President, head of Diversity and Inclusion of U.S. Foods
Patient board member
Francisca Tamayo
Alivio Patient
Patient board member
Santiago Garcia
President/CEO of The HOH Group Inc.
Alejandra Perez Tamayo, MD
Retired UIC Associate professor of clinical surgery, surgical director breast cancer center University of IL and Franciscan Alliance at Olympia Fields
Patient board member
Jill Seidman, MPH
Strategy, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Microsoft