Patient Portal no longer available
. Learn more

Leadership

Leadership Thumbnail image

Alivio leadership

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.

Executive Management Team

Headshot for Esther Corpuz
Esther Corpuz
Chief Executive Officer
Esther Corpuz
Headshot for Esther Corpuz

Mrs. Corpuz joined the Alivio team with more than 30 years of experience in hospital operations and management. Prior to leading Alivio, she served in numerous progressive leadership roles including Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, Regional Vice President of External Relations for MacNeal Hospital (now part of Loyola Medicine) and Tenet Health Care. She is a powerful voice by building and strengthening relationships within the community and with key public policy decision makers at local, state and federal levels. She is an active community leader and currently serves on the board of directors of MacNeal Hospital (now part of Loyola Medicine), IlliniCare, Medical Home Network ACO, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, Healthy Illinois and the Pilsen Land use Committee. She has received numerous awards for her civic engagement including the Yolotlmezti Health Advocate Award, Vanguard’s Corporate Community Pillar Award, National Medical Fellowship Diversity Leadership Award, Cicero Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award and is the past recipient of State Treasurer, Judy Barr Topinka’s Volunteer Trailblazer Award. Corpuz was selected to participate in the National Association of Healthcare Executives Senior Leadership Academy which she completed in October of 2009. She attended DePaul University and majored in Political Science.

Close Headshot for Maria Granados
Maria Granados
Human Resources Director
Maria Granados
Headshot for Maria Granados

Maria is a seasoned HR professional and has been with Alivio for 18 years. Maria started at Alivio as a Patient Service Representative, then served as the Medical Director Assistant for several years before moving to human resources in 2010. Having been raised in Back of the Yards and attended high school in Gage Park, Maria has a deep connection to the Hispanic community we serve. Maria earned her AAS in Management and Marketing from Daley College and she completed a Community Health Center Executive Fellowship in 2010 through the University of Kansas.

Close Headshot for Ankit Patel
Ankit Patel
Director of Finance
Ankit Patel
Headshot for Ankit Patel

Ankit Patel has a progressive career in the Healthcare sector. He received his MBA from the University of Illinois and is a Licensed Certified Public Accountant. Ankit has financial management experience in Inpatient Nursing, Solid Organ and Hematologic Transplant service lines, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Over the years he’s made revenue cycle improvements in coding, billing, collections, business planning, data analysis, compensation planning, budgeting, variance analysis, and grants management. He enjoys cooking, traveling, listening to music, hiking, and working out.

Close Headshot for Jennifer Vargas
Jennifer Vargas, MD
Alivio Medical Director
Jennifer Vargas, MD
Headshot for Jennifer Vargas

Dr. Vargas joined Alivio in 2008 and was recently appointed as the Medical Director. Dr. Vargas directs, coordinates and supervises the delivery of medical services to promote the quality of medical care according to the philosophy, mission and goals of Alivio.

Dr. Vargas received her BA in Spanish Literature as well as a BS in Biology from Loyola University. She received her Medical Degree from Wright State University, School of Medicine and finished her residency in Family Medicine at MacNeal Hospital, where she also completed her training with a Fellowship in Women’s Health.

Dr. Vargas was born and raised in Chicago, IL, in a predominantly Latino community and understands the immediate needs of immigrant patients. Dr. Vargas hopes to bring new and innovative ideas in the health care delivery.

Close Headshot for Mahamid Khan
Mahamid Khan, DMD
Alivio Dental Director
Mahamid Khan, DMD
Headshot for Mahamid Khan

Dr. Mahamid Khan is a native Chicagoan that grew up in the Uptown/Buena Park area of Chicago. He completed his undergraduate and dental studies from Southern Il. University. He has practiced in the Chicagoland and St. Louis Missouri metropolitan area for over 25 years with an emphasis on family and preventive dentistry. He truly feels that everyone deserves to smile and not be embarrassed of their teeth regardless of their financial situation. At Alivio, he hopes to develop a patient centered dental program that provides compassionate care to all of Alivio’s patients and staff. When not watching a Cubs game, he is usually spending time with his family traveling or cooking a meal together. Dr. Khan joined Alivio in 2020.

Close

Officers

Headshot for Teresa Fraga
Teresa Fraga
President; Treasurer, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council
Patient board member
Teresa Fraga
Headshot for Teresa Fraga

Community organizer | Alivio patient

Affiliations
Pilsen Neighbors Community Council
Close
Headshot for Peter Martinez
Peter Martinez
First Vice President
Patient board member
Peter Martinez
Headshot for Peter Martinez

Former foundation officer | Alivio patient

Close
Headshot for Elizabeth Aquino
Elizabeth Aquino, RN, PhD
Second Vice President; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Nursing University of Illinois at Chicago
Elizabeth Aquino, RN, PhD
Headshot for Elizabeth Aquino
Certifications
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Nursing University of Illinois at Chicago
Education
School of Nursing, College of Science and Health, DePaul University
Close
Headshot for Antonio Guillen
Antonio Guillen
Treasurer; SVP Commercial Loans-Diverse Markets Manager, Wintrust Financial
Antonio Guillen
Headshot for Antonio Guillen
Close
Headshot for Scott Cruz
Scott Cruz, Esq.
Secretary; Attorney at Law, Labor & Employment Group, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Scott Cruz, Esq.
Headshot for Scott Cruz

Labor & Employment Group, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.

Close

Members

Headshot for Lourdes F. Diaz
Lourdes F. Diaz
Vice President, head of Diversity and Inclusion of U.S. Foods
Patient board member
Lourdes F. Diaz
Headshot for Lourdes F. Diaz
Close
Francisca Tamayo
Alivio Patient
Patient board member
Francisca Tamayo
Close
Headshot for Santiago Garcia
Santiago Garcia
President/CEO of The HOH Group Inc.
Santiago Garcia
Headshot for Santiago Garcia
Close
Headshot for Alejandra Perez Tamayo
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
Alejandra Perez Tamayo, MD
Headshot for Alejandra Perez Tamayo
Close
Headshot for Jill Seidman
Jill Seidman, MPH
Strategy, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Microsoft
Patient board member
Jill Seidman, MPH
Headshot for Jill Seidman
Close
Headshot for Margarita Lopez
Margarita Lopez
Realtor, Baird & Warner
Patient board member
Margarita Lopez
Headshot for Margarita Lopez
Close
Close