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See our conference highlight under Chapter News. There you will find professional photos of the conference as well as senior page and announcements
Table of Contents
Join us for the 32nd Annual Midwest Regional Conference
The theme of this year’s conference is “Health Leaders of Tomorrow: Continuando la Lucha por la Equidad”. This conference will focus on the celebrating Hispanic/Latinx leaders and the work that is being done to fight health disparities that affect the Hispanic/Latinx community. The goal of this conference is to empower students to become leaders in their community and bring to attention gaps and barriers in Latinx health. We hope to bring together health professionals, medical students, and physicians in this dual virtual and in-person conference to provide the opportunity to build mentorship, collaboration, and community. The conference will have programming targeted towards premedical and medical students, with speakers who are experts and leaders in healthcare, policy, and advocacy. The poster and oral presentation sessions will provide the opportunity for participants to share their achievements and research findings. We hope this conference not only provides educational opportunities but also celebrates Hispanic/Latinx culture and community.
Event Flyer
COVID Provisions
Proof of Covid-19 vaccination will be required for entry
We have missed hanging out together and cannot wait to see you! As of December 2021, the conference will primarily be in person with online options at a discounted rate.
January 2022 Update: Due to ongoing surge we will be requiring proof of vaccination including booster. In-person events are subject to change as this surge develops. Please email director.midwest@lmsa.
Ticket Information
Venue & transportation
Feinberg campus is conveniently accessible by public transit and train transportation.
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LMSA has reserved rooms at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Magnificent Mile
300 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611USA
Hotel is within walking distance of the event location.
Agenda & Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Melissa A. Simon, MD MPH is the George H. Gardner Professor of Clinical Gynecology, Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also the Founder and Director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation and the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative. She serves as the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement. She is an expert in implementation science, women’s health across the lifespan, minority health, community engagement and health equity. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her substantial contribution to excellence in health equity scholarship, women’s health and mentorship, including her recent election to the National Academy of Medicine. She has received the Presidential Award in Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentorship and is a Presidential Leadership Scholar. She is a former member and current consultant to the US Preventive Services Task Force and serves on the NIH Office of Research in Women’s Health Advisory Committee.
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Speaker
Dr. Pilar Guerrero has been an Attending Physician in the Emergency Department at John H. Stroger Jr. Cook County Hospital and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois for the last 19 years. Dr. Guerrero has focused her work on improving patient experience, resident education, medical Spanish, URM’s recruitment, and public health initiatives affecting vulnerable populations, including Covid. She was selected for Who’s Who in Hispanic Healthcare Chicago 2018, 2019, and was recently named Co-Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Cook County Hospital.
Dr. Guerrero received her Bachelors in Science, and practiced as a registered nurse for six years, She then, obtained her medical doctorate from the University of Michigan School of Medicine, and completed her residency at SUNY/Downstate in Brooklyn New York, followed by a one-year research fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition, she currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and Chair of the Regional Chapter, as well as student liaison for the local chapter of Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA). She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois State Health Department.
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Speaker
Edith Avila Olea is an advocate committed to social justice and equitable policy solutions. In 2020, Avila Olea joined the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights as the Policy Manager. Working closely with ICIRR members and partner organizations, Avila Olea focuses on policy research, state-level advocacy, education and outreach around the issues of public charge, healthcare access, and social services.
Previously, Avila Olea served as the Justice and Peace Associate Director at the Catholic Diocese of Joliet and as the Parish Outreach Coordinator at Catholic Charities in Joliet. Avila Olea holds a Master of Public Policy degree from DePaul University in Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communication from Shorter University from Rome, Georgia. Avila Olea serves as the Vice President on the Board of Directors for the Spanish Community Center in Joliet. Avila Olea is proud to be an immigrant originally from Mexico.
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Public Health and Management Professional, Óscar Iván is Business Development & Equity Director for Advocate Aurora Health AAH, where he has worked for the last 13 years. He is one of the founders and Vice-President of the Medical Organization for Latino Advancement MOLA, a professional association of Latin@ physicians and other health care professionals in the Midwest. His work aligns public health needs – of diverse populations experiencing disparities – with equitable access to high-quality health services in the region. In MOLA, Óscar leads the organization’s development and general administration.
Óscar Iván is responsible for Business Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program development in AAH leading processes from diverse patient data, culturally/linguistically concordant care, cross-cultural competency training, community outreach, and health education, to diverse talent development. In his role, Oscar co-chairs Advocate Aurora Health Central Region Inclusion Council. Some of the projects he leads align the needs of LGBTQ, Hispanic, African American, Immigrants, and national diverse origin as well as inter-congregational faith communities. Óscar Iván is an innovative goal and relationship oriented public health professional with a Master of Business Administration MBA, a Master of Public Health MPH, and training in Diversity Management CDM.
Native from Colombia, where he migrated from in 2000, Óscar Iván has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business magazine as a notable LGBTQ executive and was awarded the Leadership Award by the Chicago Latino Network in 2018. The National Hispanic Medical Association recognized him as Regional Leader for his work building professional medical societies in 2019. Óscar Iván was the Chairperson of Centro Romero’s Board of Directors and a member of Howard Brown Health’s Board of Directors until June of 2021 after a 6-year successful term.
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Speaker
Valeria is a general surgery resident at Michigan Medicine. Originally from Acacías, Colombia, she completed her undergraduate education starting in her local community college, the State College of Florida. She obtained a B.A in Biochemistry from the New College of Florida and her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago where she was an active member and leader of the Latino Medical Student Association. Most recently, she received a master’s degree in Health and Healthcare Research from the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan.
Valeria is completing a post graduate research fellowship as part of the National Clinician Scholars Program, a multi-institutional initiative training clinicians from multiple disciplines as change agents who will drive policy-relevant research and partnerships to improve health and health care. Her research interests include workforce diversity in surgical specialties, disparities in surgical care with a focus on transplantation, and implementation of interventions to increase access and quality of surgical care for minoritized populations. Valeria holds candidate memberships in the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), the Association for Academic Surgery (ASC), the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA), and the Latino Surgical Society (LSS). She is a trainee representative for the ASTS Pipeline Task Force, a member of the ASTS Boldly Against Racism Task Force, and the program lead for the LEAGUES Fellowship, a pipeline program designed for medical students interested in the intersection of racial and gender equity and surgery.
In 2020, Valeria was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society at the University of Michigan Medical School. She is the inaugural awardee of the University of Michigan College of Medicine Student Diversity Council Dr. Roland Alexander Blackwood Award for Excellence in Mentorship to Diversify the Healthcare Workforce.
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Apply for the 2022-23 LMSA MW Board
Join our Midwest Board! Applications are now OPEN and due Feb 11th @ 11:59pm CT. Elections will be held during our virtual Midwest Business Meeting on Feb 12, 2022. Position listings, instructions and applications are available, click bellow:
Graduating Medical Students
Mentor of the year
Nominations will close on Feb 7, 2022 to allow for the Midwest Board to vote! To nominate:
Download our Application
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Zoom Backgrounds
Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors
Gold
| Indiana University School of Medicine – Office of Diversity |
| Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (Northwestern/McGaw Pediatrics) |
| Washington University in St. Louis General Surgery Residency Program |
| McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern |
Silver
| Rush Medical College AND Rush University Graduate Medical Education |
| Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine |
| University of Illinois College of Medicine |
Bronze
| Mayo Clinic Family Medicine Residency – Eau Claire |
| University of Iowa Health Care |
| Advocate Aurora Health |