Join us for a Lunch & Learn focused on expanding access to asthma care for students. In “Improving Access to Asthma Care in Schools,” Dr. Keslie Alvarez will discuss strategies to reduce barriers to care, strengthen partnerships between healthcare providers and school staff, and ensure students receive timely support for asthma management during the school day. Participants will gain practical insights on promoting equitable access to medications, action plans, and resources that help students stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

Dr. Kelsie Alvarez, DO holds a B.A. in Preprofessional Studies from the University of Notre Dame and received her Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is double board-certified.   Dr. Alvarez's career has been defined by a commitment to health equity, innovation, and collaborative team-building.  As the Medical Director for Mobile Care Chicago, she strives to address systemic health disparities and provide accessible, high quality asthma and allergy care to patients of all backgrounds. She also has a passion for medical education and currently serves as the co-director for the Doctoring and Clinical Skills course at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

Join us for CAC's Spring 2026 Lunch & Learn series! These days, schedules seem to be more packed than ever; but learning more about asthma management doesn't have to take hours. Each month, February through May at 12:00PM, we'll be hosting a 30-minute, informal Zoom group with an expert in the field of asthma to educate and answer questions around asthma and issues that can affect those living with it.

Lunch and Learn is free and open to all, and designed to be valuable for everyone, from experienced healthcare workers to community members looking to improve their ability to care for themselves and their loved ones.

This event is FREE to attend for all!
The Lunch & Learn Series will be hosted on Zoom and live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Upon registering, you'll receive the Zoom access details in your confirmation email. Feel free to join us on the platform of your choice—we look forward to seeing you there!

Mariah Murray

Mariah Murray, MBA MPH is a born and raised Chicago native and first-generation medical student at The University of Illinois College of Medicine. She is an Urban Medicine Scholarly Concentration Program member at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and dedicates her academic and professional career to improving health outcomes for underserved communities. She is the Physician Involvement Chair board member for the IAMACF Charitable Foundation Free Health Clinic in Chicago. She is actively engaged in impactful organizations throughout Chicago such as I Am Abel Foundation and Glom Com, an organization that focuses on early chronic kidney disease screening in high-risk minority populations. Mariah is a Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations fellow and received National Cancer Institute funding to investigate Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Egypt. As an epidemiologist and health equity advocate, she studies epidemiology to analyze the social conditions that deprive our communities of their vitality. She values applying her medical and public health education to creating healthier communities in her hometown of Chicago. 

Elena Sasso

Elena Sasso is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and an Urban Medicine Scholar dedicated to advancing health equity through community engagement and humanistic care. With a strong background in advocacy, clinical outreach, and qualitative research, Elena has worked on initiatives such as Chicago Street Medicine and the Food Is Medicine program, addressing the social determinants of health including housing, food access, and chronic illness. Her experiences span direct patient care, curriculum development, and policy analysis, all rooted in a commitment to addressing systemic barriers to health. Elena aims to become a physician who not only treats disease but also drives change toward healthier, more just environments. Elena is excited about the externship with the Chicago Asthma Consortium, which aligns with her passion for exploring how housing and the built environment influence asthma and overall health. She looks forward to contributing her skills in research and community engagement to support the Consortium’s mission for health equity

Join us for a Lunch & Learn focused on strengthening asthma care in the school setting. In “Asthma Care in Schools: Policy, Practice, and the Role of the School Nurse,” Rachael Morkunas, Program Director at the Respiratory Health Association, will share insights on current policies, best practices, and the critical role school nurses play in supporting students with asthma. Facilitated by Gloria Barrera, this session will explore strategies to improve care coordination, promote adherence to asthma action plans, and create healthier school environments that help students breathe easier and succeed in the classroom.

Rachael Morkunas, MPH, is an experienced public health professional and lifelong asthmatic committed to advancing health equity and improving access to care. With over eight years of experience in program planning, implementation, and evaluation, her work focuses on breaking down barriers to good health—especially in the areas of chronic disease management and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Rachael currently serves as Program Director at Respiratory Health Association, where she leads the Chronic Disease Team and oversees a wide range of lung health initiatives, including asthma, COPD, tobacco cessation, radon awareness, and lung cancer programming. She works to improve asthma outcomes for students and families across Chicago through education, systems-level strategies, and partnerships between schools and healthcare providers. Her lived experience with asthma fuels her passion for creating community-based solutions and building meaningful collaborations that address the root causes of health disparities.

Join us for a Lunch & Learn designed specifically for nurses who support students with asthma. In “Coordinating Asthma Care Within the School Setting,” Gloria Barrera will discuss practical strategies for managing asthma in the school environment, strengthening communication among healthcare providers, families, and school staff, and ensuring students have safe access to medications and action plans during the school day. Participants will gain tools to improve care coordination, reduce asthma-related emergencies, and help students stay healthy, active, and ready to learn

Gloria E. Barrera, MSN, RN, PEL-CSN currently works as a certified school nurse at a public high school outside of Chicago, and as visiting professor of nursing at UIC. She is committed to being a lifelong learner and continues her efforts in improving child health outcomes in our most vulnerable populations through her current practice, advocacy, and teaching.

Barrera was the first Latina President of Illinois Association of School Nurses (IASN) and served during the pandemic. She’s engaged with ANA-Illinois by serving on the Executive Board as Secretary. Gloria was appointed to the IDPH Diversity in Health Care Professions Task Force as well as the Governor’s Illinois Terrorism Task Force’s School Safety Committee. Barrera has demonstrated her deep commitment to helping others through her volunteerism and community service with various non-profit organizations where she shares her expertise and serves as a leader. She is a Fellow of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE), a Climate Health Organizing (CHEEA) Fellow and Co-Founder of Nurse Heroes for Zero (NHFZ). Barrera is considered a subject matter expert in school nursing, environmental advocacy and health equity, and public health. Barrera is invested in mentoring the next generation of nurse leaders and is Co-Founder of the Society of Latinx Nurses. She’s been recognized for her leadership and service by several organizations, both locally and nationally. Barrera was recognized as 40 Under Forty by ANA-Illinois in its second year, named 40 Under Forty in Public Health by the de Beaumont Foundation and Nurse Influencer of the year by ANA-Illinois in 2023.

Join us for CAC's Spring 2026 Lunch & Learn series! These days, schedules seem to be more packed than ever; but learning more about asthma management doesn't have to take hours. Each month, February through May at 12:00PM, we'll be hosting a 30-minute, informal Zoom group with an expert in the field of asthma to educate and answer questions around asthma and issues that can affect those living with it.

Lunch and Learn is free and open to all, and designed to be valuable for everyone, from experienced healthcare workers to community members looking to improve their ability to care for themselves and their loved ones.

This event is FREE to attend for all!
The Lunch & Learn Series will be hosted on Zoom and live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Upon registering, you'll receive the Zoom access details in your confirmation email. Feel free to join us on the platform of your choice—we look forward to seeing you there!

Dr. Kelsie Alvarez, DO holds a B.A. in Preprofessional Studies from the University of Notre Dame and received her Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is double board-certified.   Dr. Alvarez's career has been defined by a commitment to health equity, innovation, and collaborative team-building.  As the Medical Director for Mobile Care Chicago, she strives to address systemic health disparities and provide accessible, high quality asthma and allergy care to patients of all backgrounds. She also has a passion for medical education and currently serves as the co-director for the Doctoring and Clinical Skills course at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. 

Facilitator: Marc Rubin

Join us for a dynamic networking event designed to refresh your asthma knowledge, explore best practices, and share strategies to strengthen community engagement. This is a great opportunity to connect—or reconnect—with fellow community health professionals dedicated to improving asthma outcomes.

Registration

Members & Non-members: $25

If cost is a barrier, please reach out to CAC Executive Director, Rachelle Paul-Brutus, at execdirector@chicagoasthma.org.

Stay tuned for more details

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