About Us

We're experts at what we do and we're here to help you.

We are a data-driven cohort of skilled, experienced community health workers, public health professionals, and researchers supporting organizations in designing, implementing, and evaluating the CHW model.

Our Story

Since 2001, Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) has employed CHWs working to improve chronic disease management and wellness, thereby gaining significant expertise in the hiring, training, and supervision of this critical workforce. SUHI is the community research center of Sinai Chicago. We are dedicated to improving the health of the most vulnerable communities, which we achieve by identifying health inequities, addressing these inequities with innovative solutions, and rigorously evaluating our work to ensure effectiveness.

In 2017, after receiving numerous consulting requests around the hiring, training, and implementation of the CHW model, SUHI formally launched CROWD, the Center for CHW Research, Outcomes, and Workforce Development. We function as a CHW training and technical consulting hub to meet the growing demand of organizations’ CHW training and programmatic implementation needs.

Meet The Team

Helen Margellos-Anast,
President

Nataly Alvarez,
Bilingual CHW Trainer

Chandrea Chaiyarat,
Program Manager

Aaron Chestnut,
Senior Research Specialist

May Dartez,
Learning Development Manager

Adlaide Holloway,
Senior CHW Consultant and Trainer

Stacy Ignoffo,
Executive Directo, Community Health Innovations

Kim Jay,
Training Manager and Senior Community Health Worker

Julie Kuhn,
Manager of Business and Operations, Community Health Innovations

Patricia Labellarte,
Senior Evaluator

Rhonda Lay,
Senior CHW Consultant and Trainer

Kelly McCabe,
Director, Community Health Interventions and Research

Rachel Morris,
Director, CROWD

Aidyn Ocon,
CHW Program Coordinator

Kennedy Paredes,
AmeriCorps, Community Outreach Associate

Janell Ross,
Senior Research Specialist

Our Clients

Advocate Physician Partners │Ascension Healthcare│ Carle Health│ Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership │ Chicago Department of Public Health│ Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership│Christian Hospital (St. Louis, MO) │ DuPage County Health Department │ Enlace Chicago │ Erie Family Health│ Get Covered Illinois │ Health & Medicine Policy Research Group │Heartland Alliance │Heartland Health Center│Illinois Spina Bifida Association│ JourneyCare│ Lake County Health Department │Loyola Medicine │ Medical Home Network │ Mercy Housing Lakefront │ MercyOne (Des Moines, IA) │One Lawndale Community Health Collective│Peach Tree Health│Quincy Medical Group│ Rush University Medical Center │ Sinai Chicago │South Side Healthy Community Organization │Third Horizon Strategies │ Trinity Health │The HAP Foundation│ University of Chicago Medicine │ University of Illinois at Chicago │Wayne County (MI) Health Department │Wellness West│West Side United│