Illinois Transplant Fund honors Latino/Hispanic health equity leaders
The Illinois Transplant Fund (ITF) honored Illinois health equity leaders making an impact in the Latino/Hispanic community at the 2023 World Fashion Festival opening night reception on Oct. 18. More than 120 guests joined the celebration at Macy’s on State Street in Chicago.
Transplant teams at Loyola Medicine, Northwestern Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine and UI Health were recognized with the newly established Illinois Transplant Fund Health Equity Award for Outstanding Teams for their significant efforts in influencing and improving the quality of health equity in their communities:
Loyola Medicine
- Erica Bohac, LSW, Social Worker, Daisy Garcia, LSW, Transplant Social Services and Jessie Ruiz, LCSW, Transplant Social Worker
Northwestern Medicine
- Janet Aminoff, LCSW, CCTSW, Outpatient Transplant Social Worker, Clinical Lead, Norma Haro, LCSW, Transplant Social Worker and Lydia Loveland, LCSW, CCTSW, Transplant Social Services
University of Chicago Medicine
- Kathleen Fennell (Beyer), BSN, RN, Pre-Kidney Transplant Nurse Coordinator International Patient Liaison, Anahita Masoumi, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, Vice President, Transplant Institute & Digestive Diseases Chief Administrative Officer, Transplant Institute, Tina Stern, BSN, RN Director, Clinical Operations, Transplant Institute and Angelica Perez-Gutierrez, MD, Transplant Surgeon, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Hispanic Clinic
UI Health
- Eloy Lopez, Transplant Financial Coordinator and Alicia Martinez, MPA, Healthcare Administrator
Individual awards were also presented to those who have made great impact with their advocacy, ensuring health equity in their communities.
- Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez – Deputy House Majority Leader, State Representative -2nd District received the Special Recognition Award
- David A. Ansell, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President for Community Health Equity, Rush University Medical Center; Associate Provost for Community Affairs, Rush University received the Health Equity Community Champion Award
- Arielle Rodriguez Maffei, MPPA, Vice President, State Government Relations, McGuireWoods Consulting received the Health Equity Advocacy Award
The Illinois Transplant Fund was selected as the charity of choice for the World Fashion Festival opening reception.
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network established the ITF in 2015 as a not-for-profit organization to help eliminate the lack of health insurance as a barrier to life-saving organ transplants. ITF’s mission is to provide qualified patients with insurance premium support that allows them access to organ transplants and follow-up care.
The only non-profit of its kind in the nation, the ITF is funded entirely through generous philanthropic support. Its work has helped nearly 500 individuals receive life-saving organ transplants.
