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: cpark1@uic.edu

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.

BIO

Robert Kiser, CEC, CHSE

Associate Director
Phone: 312-996-6551
Email: rkiser@uic.edu

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

BIO

Laura McKenzie

Assistant Director of Human Based Simulation
Phone: 312-355-3441
Email: lauramc@uic.edu

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.

BIO

Tanja Barac, NREMT, CHSOS

Assistant Director of Technology Simulation
Phone: 312-355-7298
Email: tbarac2@uic.edu

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.

BIO

John Colagrossi

Assistant Director of Operations
Phone: 312-996-2989
Email: jcola@uic.edu

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.

BIO

Jose Cardenas

Information Technology Coordinator
Phone: 312-996-1412
Email: jlcarden@uic.edu

Raina Long

Standardized Patient Coordinator
Phone: 312-996-5707
Email: rainal@uic.edu

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.

BIO

Angelo Dindia, CC-EMTP, CHSOS

Simulation Technology Coordinator
Phone: 312-996-7365
Email: adindi2@uic.edu

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.

BIO

Edward Fraim

Operations Manager/AHA Coordinator
Phone: 312-413-8030
Email: efraim@uic.edu

Alba Woolard

Standardized Patient Coordinator

Phone: 312-355-7296

Email: awoolard@uic.edu

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.

BIO

Amy Binns-Calvey

Research Specialist

Phone: 312-413-2022

Email: amybc@uic.edu

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…

BIO

Rupak Basu

IT Assistant

Phone: 312-355-7297

Email: rbasu3@uic.edu

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

Standardized Patient Coordinator

Phone: 312-355-2801

Email: bkass@uic.edu

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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Aidan Kernochan

Simulation Technology Coordinator

Phone: 312-413-3543

Email: akernoch@uic.edu