Leadership

Executive Management Team

Esther Corpuz

Chief Executive Officer

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.

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Jeanette Simons

Chief Operations Officer

Jeanette Simons

Born and raised in Chicago, Jeanette Simons has built a robust educational and professional background. She earned a BSN from North Park College and an MBA from DePaul University and has several years of experience working as a bedside RN. Throughout her career, she has developed an operational background that paved the way for leadership roles in hospital, practice, and ambulatory operations. In her spare time, Jeanette enjoys reading about WWII history, cycling, and spending quality time with family and friends.

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Ankit Patel

Director of Finance

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.

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Jennifer Vargas, MD

Alivio Medical Director

Jennifer Vargas, MD

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.

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Mahamid Khan, DMD

Alivio Dental Director

Mahamid Khan, DMD

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.

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Officers

Teresa Fraga

Community organizer | Alivio patient

Affiliations

Pilsen Neighbors Community Council

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Peter Martinez

Former foundation officer | Alivio patient

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Elizabeth Aquino, RN, PhD

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

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Scott Cruz, Esq.

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

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Antonio Guillen

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Members

Francisca Tamayo

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Carmen Velásquez

Carmen Velásquez is the founder of Alivio Medical Center and the immediate past 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.

In 1988, Ms.Velásquez was hired as Alivio’s first Executive Director. Soon after, while walking through Pilsen in search of clinic space, she saw a muffler shop parking lot bursting with trucks. When Ms.Velasquez went in and asked the owner if the lot was for sale, he said, “Offer me something.” So she did and offered the owner an amount which Project Alivio did not yet even have. That day, they launched a campaign to raise $2.1 million for the lot, the construction of the clinic and all necessary equipment. This site became the home of Alivio’s very first clinic.

“Every human being has the right to access education and has the right to access healthcare, no matter what their color, and no matter if they’re rich or poor.”

Carmen Velásquez, Alivio Founder and First Executive Director

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Santiago Garcia

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Alejandra Perez Tamayo, MD

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Jill Seidman, MPH

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