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Carmen Velásquez, Executive Director of Alivio Medical Center, is a recognized leader and community activist in Chicago’s Latinocommunity. She was one of the founders of Alivio Medical Center, a bilingual, bicultural organization committed to providing access to quality cost-effective health care to the Latino community, the uninsured and underinsured, working poor families and individuals who have historically not accessed healthcare due to language, cultural barriers and fear of immigration status. Alivio Medical Center’s providers serve all patients regardless of ability to pay.
Alivio’s three sites serve the neighborhoods of Pilsen, Heart of Chicago, Little Village, Back of the Yards, Archer Heights, Bridgeport, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Gage Park and Armour Square. Carmen has consistently led efforts to improve and empower the greater Hispanic community and serves on the boards of many organizations.
As a former community activist, social worker, bilingual education specialist and now director of a not-for-profit community health center, she has spent most of her life advocating unpopular positions, such as universal health care for the uninsured and amnesty for undocumented residents.
Carmen often speaks before Congress on issues of health care and the undocumented. She attended Loyola University Chicago. Carmen has received the following awards: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Community Health Leadership Award for innovative leadership with an under served population; Cesar Chavez Award from the Rainbow / Push Coalition; the Anti-Defamation League’s Women of Achievement Award, and the Jefferson Award for Public Service.
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