SAIL STAFF

Christine Park MD, FSSH

Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology, Dept of Anesthesiology;

Professor of Clinical Medicine, Dept of Medical Education;

Associate Department Head of Anesthesiology for Innovation and Learning Director

Work Phone: 312-413-2022
Email: [email protected]

Christine Park, MD

Christine Park, MD, is the Director of the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, the Associate Head for Learning and Innovation in UIC’s Department of Anesthesiology, and a Professor of Anesthesiology and Medical Education.

Dr. Park’s passion in life is language and literature, which fuels her interest in simulation, education and humanities in healthcare. After obtaining an undergraduate degree in English Literature at Yale University, she ended up pursuing a career in healthcare, spending time at Indiana University, Boston University and Harvard before settling in Chicago.

Dr. Park was the 2017 President of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the largest healthcare simulation society in the world. During her tenure, she led a global and multi-professional collaboration to create a unifying Code of Ethics for health care simulation professionals. She also spearheaded the society’s inaugural Women in Leadership Symposium.

Dr. Park’s vision is to improve up lift the health of UIC’s community and patient safety. Together with the staff and faculty, SAIL will design and implement simulation for comprehensive professional development throughout a clinician’s career; advance patient-partnered and social-justice driven strategies for healthcare simulation; and leverage a collective momentum of innovation.

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Robert Kiser, CEC, CHSE

Associate Director
Phone: 312-996-6551
Email: [email protected]

Robert Kiser

Bob Kiser began his association with the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute as a Standardized Patient in 1996, became a Standardized Patient Trainer in 2005 and accepted the position of Assistant Director in 2009. In 2015, Bob transitioned into his current role of Associate Director. As a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, his main areas of focus are in debriefing and emotionally difficult portrayals. Bob is an active member of the Association of Standardized Patient Educators and teaches in their SP Educator Foundations Program.

Along with his work at SAIL, Bob is a mediator with UIC’s Dispute Resolution group, under the Office of Access and Equity. There, his main interest lies in colleague-to-colleague conflict resolution, especially in healthcare settings.

In his “copious free-time,” Bob is an author, speaker and host of his own radio show, “Perfect Detours” on Chicago’s WHGC 98.3 FM

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Laura McKenzie

Assistant Director of Human Based Simulation
Phone: 312-355-3441
Email: [email protected]

Laura McKenzie

Starting her career at UIC as a standardized patient with inhalation anthrax poisoning, Laura moved into the role of standardized patient coordinator and now assistant director of human based simulation. Simulation has taken Laura to all corners of the world including India, Ireland and Indianapolis! A graduate of Northwestern University, Laura worked in arts education prior to becoming a standardized patient coordinator. She continues to write and perform in her copious spare time.

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Tanja Barac, NREMT, CHSOS

Assistant Director of Technology Simulation
Phone: 312-355-7298
Email: [email protected]

Tanja Barac

Tanja Barac has been a Simulation Technology Coordinator since 2018 and an Operations Specialist and Skills Instructor since 2015. Tanja’s clinical history includes emergency medicine and general healthcare. She is passionate about medical education and is a strong advocate for simulation in the healthcare setting. She’s innovated and enjoys the challenge of a new program. In her free time, Tanja loves to try new restaurants and travel. Some of her favorite memories were hiking the Grand Tetons, taking a road trip across Ireland, and seeing the world from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

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John Colagrossi

Assistant Director of Operations
Phone: 312-996-2989
Email: [email protected]

John Colagrossi

As Assistant Director of Operations at the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute (SAIL), John oversees the business, HR and facilities functions, including budget development, purchasing and HR processes. John has been with UIC since 1999 having served as the Director of Operations/Budget for the Surgery, Economics, and Physical Therapy Departments as well as the Institute for Juvenile Research. He has extensive experience with UIC systems, applications and reporting methods as well as expertise in accounting and UIC purchasing procedures. He enjoys SAIL’s fast pace and camaraderie and contributes to employee development by mentoring undergraduate accounting majors pursuing CPA certification.

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Lynda Shadrake, CHSE

Standardized Patient Coordinator
Phone: 312-355-0562
Email: [email protected]

Lynda Shadrake

Lynda started her career at UIC as a standardized patient in 2006 and joined the staff as an SP Coordinator in 2012. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University and isa former high school English and drama teacher. She has been a professional actress in Chicago for over 25 years and continues her theatrical work in her spare time most often playing somebody’s mom.

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Raina Long

Standardized Patient Coordinator
Phone: 312-996-5707
Email: [email protected]

Raina Long

Raina Long comes from an education and performance background and worked for many years as a teacher in Chicago’s Public Schools. Raina is now a Standardized Patient Coordinator at UIC’s Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute. She also continues to maintain her performance background as a playwright, actor and director in and around Chicago.In her role as Coordinator, Raina has worked with UIC’s Medical School, College of Nursing, and School of Psychology, Students and Faculty.Raina’s current focus at UIC is teaching and assessing clinical and communication skills. She is also passionate about bringing mindfulness to the UIC community and is the Vice Chair of the Mindfulness Affinity Group of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

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James Haukland, CHSE, CHSOS

Simulation Technology Coordinator
Phone: 312-413-3543
Email: [email protected]

James Haukland, CHSE, CHSOS

James has served as a Simulation Technology Coordinator at UIC for the last 5 years and holds both CHSE & CHSOS certifications from The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSIH). He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technical Management and hopes to complete his Masters Degree in the next year or so, he has been an Illinois Licensed Paramedic for over 25 years and holds Illinois Firefighting,Technical Rescue and Hazardous Materials certifications. James has been an EMS educator, Paramedic Preceptor and a American Heart Association Training Center Faculty Member / lead instructor in ACLS,PALS,BLS, First-Aid, BBP for many years. James also holds teaching certifications from the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) and the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). In his spare time he is a member of a garden club, hikes, and looks for antiques, he is also an active Shriner & 32″ Master Mason (Fraternal Organization that helps Kids)

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Angelo Dindia, CC-EMTP, CHSOS

Simulation Technology Coordinator
Phone: 312-996-7365
Email: [email protected]

Angelo Dindia

Angelo Dindia was one of the first Critical Care Paramedics to practice in the city of Chicago.His career includes over 15 years of EMS experience and almost 10 years medical simulation.A lifelong learner and collector of obscure skills-Angelo can knit you a sweater, brew you a fine ale, or diagnose and repair your $80,000 simulation mannequin.He has served as a Simulation Technology Coordinator since 2017 and has only been responsible for one fire.

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Edward Fraim

Operations Manager
Phone: 312-413-2022
Email: [email protected]

Julian Lugo

IT Technical Associate
Phone: 312-996-1412
Email: [email protected]

Alba Woolard

Standardized Patient Coordinator

Phone: 312-355-7296

Email: [email protected]

Alba Woolard

Alba Woolard has been working in Healthcare Simulation since 2008, when she started as a Standardized Patient. Since then, she has worked in many capacities in simulation. From training standardized patients in varying case presentations, to developing workshops for practicing providers, to presenting internationally on communication in a healthcare setting, Alba has a passion for improving healthcare through the use of standardized patients and simulation technology. When Alba isn’t immersed in simulation, she enjoys performing improv comedy, cooking vegan meals, and petting her neighborhood dogs.

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Amy Binns-Calvey

Research Specialist

Phone: 312-413-2022

Email: [email protected]

Amy Binns-Calvey

Amy Binns-Calvey, Research and Unannounced Standardized Patient Specialist, has over 14 years’ experience working with unannounced standardized patients (USPs). USPs visit providers in their real-life practices to directly observe care.She is a lead or co-author authoron 12 publications based on this innovative approach to gathering data. Working with USPs is never dull –Amy has many anecdotes she can share if asked.Outside of SAIL, she is a published playwright and can be found kayaking local rivers or on her American Quarter Horse Sugar. If only she could find a way to get Sugar into a kayak…

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Rupak Basu

IT Assistant

Phone: 312-355-7297

Email: [email protected]

Rupak Basu

Rupak Basu accepted a position with SAIL’s IT Tech Support in 2019. He loves tinkering with electronics and technology. Rupak enjoys coding and creating programs on various platforms as well building models using Legos, and other kits. When Rupak is not “nerding out,”he enjoys gardening.

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Benjamin Kass

Special Programs Coordinator

Phone: 312-413-2022

Email: [email protected]

Benjamin Kass

Ben joined SAIL in 2019 as an administrative specialist. He also coordinates joint research projects with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). From 2017-2019, Ben served as a research specialist at Hines VA with a focus on clinical communication and access to care. Prior to joining SAIL full time, he had worked as a standardized patient and skills instructor. Ben is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Health Informatics at UIC. When he isn’t studying, he enjoys biking, hiking, baseball, improv comedy,and cooking. Recipes upon request.

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