window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag(‘js’, new Date()); gtag(‘config’, ‘UA-64770801-1’); Meet our Providers

Emmanuel Barron is a certified Physician Assistant and joined the IWS team in September 2020. He received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Chicago of Illinois. Afterward, he completed his Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Midwestern University.

Emmanuel speaks English and Spanish. In his spare time, he enjoys staying active, reading, and watching MMA.

Sandra Frank has been with the IWS team since January of 2009.

Sandy Frank received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rush University. She has practiced as a family nurse practitioner in the Chicago area since 1994. Frank has also worked as a Health Educator in Phanat Nikhom, Thailand and as a Public Health Liaison TB Program Coordinator in Sudan, Africa. She is passionate about fitness and healthy nutrition. Her hobbies include running, swimming and biking and regularly competes in triathlons.

Susely is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Her nursing career began as a graduate of Truman College. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University.  Her career involved fulfilling years in Transplant, Same-day surgery, and outpatient OB/GYNE. In her early years, she participated in the orientation of incoming RN grads, as well as chairing the Transplant Quality Committee. She then obtained a Master of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University and holds her certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Susely grew up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood and is dedicated to being an active participant in the community’s healthcare needs. She has a special interest in Women’s Health, and Family Medicine. In order to meet each patient’s special needs, Susely believes in developing strong relationships with patients, that will assist in providing personalized care.

She enjoys spending time with her family, going on road trips, and weekend getaways in the summer and fall.

Jennifer Morrison is a pediaric provider; she joined our team in April of 2014.

Jennifer received her Master of Science in Nursing and Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. In addition, CPNP Morrison carries a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. In her spare time, Jennifer likes to play volleyball and ride her bike (with a helmet!).

CNPN Morrison speaks English and Spanish.

As our Lead Physician, James Pecard is a certified Physician Assistant for the past 15 years working in Chicago. He completed his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and Master in Medical Science degree from Midwestern University. Currently, James is clinically practicing at the Infant Welfare Society and educating PA students at Northwestern University.

James has been a member of the American Association of Physician Assistants, Illinois Academy of Physician Assistants, Physician Assistants for Latino Health, and Society of Physician Assistants in Pediatrics.

James is active in providing international aid in partnership with Sociedad Amigos de Los Ninos in Honduras. He has made numerous trips through the past 10 years to provide free medical care to local communities. Locally, James is an active volunteer for Chicago Urban Ministries and Life interventions, providing food and necessities to the homeless who live in the streets of Chicago.
James is a bilingual Spanish speaker. In his free time, James likes to spend time with his family, walk the dog, ride his bike, and watch the Packers win.

As our  Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Portela is a Board Certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Science and a minor in Sociology. After college, she worked as a case manager at Casa Central in Humboldt Park. Soon after she graduated with honors from Ross University School of Medicine and a Masters in Healthcare Administration from National Louis University.

Dr. Portela completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Her special interests are in areas of high-risk pediatric patients: newborns, obesity, nutrition, and asthma/allergy illnesses.

Dr. Portela was born in Colombia, South America and raised in Logan Square. She is bilingual and understands the multicultural facets of society to medicine.

Dr. Quiñones has been a member of the IWS team since July of 2007.

Dr. Quiñones completed her Bachelor Degree magna cum laude in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico. She completed her Doctorate Degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. She completed her residency in General Pediatrics at Tulane University Medical Center and Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dr. Quinones speaks English and Spanish fluently.

JoAnn is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner who recently joined our IWS team of providers. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Purdue University and her Masters of Science in Nursing from Resurrection University. She has many years of experience working with all age groups from pediatrics to the elderly population. Her background ranges from Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care, Outpatient Care such as Same Day Surgery and Gastroenterology, Pediatrics and Hospice and Palliative Care. She also worked recently as a COVID hotline public health nurse for the Illinois Department of Public Health. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. She is credentialed by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Board.

As a provider, JoAnn strives to provide exceptional and individualized care to her patients as she believes that every patient is unique. She believes in supporting and partnering with her patients in reaching an optimal level of health and wellness, focusing on holistic care where the patient is empowered to be an active participant of their overall health.

During her free time, JoAnn enjoys hanging out with her family, friends and her 2 dogs. She enjoys girl time with her daughters and date nights with her husband. She also loves to travel and learn about different cultures.

Azalea received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Xavier University in Chicago and her Master’s degree from Chamberlain University.  She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

She is credentialed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.  Azalea believes in fostering a partnership with patients to maximize health outcomes. Raised on the south side of Chicago, she is fluent in Spanish and English. In her free time, Azalea likes to spend time with family, friends, and her dog Teddy. Her hobbies include riding her bike along the lake weather permitting and traveling to different countries.

Dr. “Bernie” Pawlowski has been a member of the IWS team since 1991.

Dr. Pawlowski received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Loyola University School of Dentistry in Maywood, where he also continued to complete a post-graduate residency program in Orthodontics. Dr. Pawlowski works part-time at IWS.

Dr. Hall received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Loyola University School of Dentistry in Maywood, where she continued to complete a post-graduate residency program in Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr. Horvath has been a member of the IWS team since 2006.

Dr. Horvath received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from The University of Illinois School of Dental Medicine through the International Dentist Program. She obtained a Doctorate of Dental Science from the Medical Academy, College of Dentistry in Poland. Dr. Horvath is fluent in Polish and English and speaks some Russian, German, and Spanish. Dr. Horvath works part-time at IWS.

Dr. Mir Khan has been a member of the IWS team since 2013

Dr. Khan received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from The University of Illinois School of Dental Medicine through the International Dentist Program. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Surgery from Al-Badar Dental College in Gulbarga, India.

Dr. Khan has extensive experience in pediatric dentistry, working with young patients, as well as those with special needs. Dr. Khan is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois School of Dental Medicine, mentoring and instructing senior dental students in treating pediatric dental patients at IWS.

Cynthia is a dynamic and compassionate bilingual professional with a background in child development and mental health. Cynthia joined the IWS family in 2016. As a CHAT Navigator/Therapist, Cynthia leads and coordinates the operations of our Child-Centered Health and Advanced Therapies program (CHAT). In addition to her administrative role, Cynthia provides direct service to children and families including assessment, treatment planning, case management, and facilitating support groups.

Cynthia was born and raised in Mexico where she received her Bachelor of Sciences in Developmental Psychology from the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in 2005. Cynthia’s degree provided her with vast knowledge and practical experience in mental health and human development which made her very passionate about appreciating mental health from a developmental perspective. She also developed a high interest in early childhood and infant mental health which led her to Erikson Institute where she completed her MS in Child Development with an Infancy specialization in 2015. Moreover, she completed significant coursework in Social Work and hopes to finish her MSW degree in the near future. Additionally, she is a DIR®Floortime Basic Certified Provider.

Cynthia enjoys learning and sharing knowledge with others. She has been a presenter at local early childhood conferences and has provided training to childcare providers. Some of her areas of expertise include working with children with disabilities, child development, early childhood education, child welfare, domestic violence, special education, community work, among others. Cynthia’s passion for social justice, her strong family-centered/strength-based approach, along with her background in human development bring great value to her work with children and families.

Madeline joined the IWS family in 2016. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Northeaster Illinois University under a generalist model. Madeline speaks fluent English and Spanish. She enjoys baking, reading, and learning new skills in her free time.