La Raza’s 6th Annual Mujeres Destacadas is a month-long editorial series and
awards luncheon in which six Chicago Latinas are recognized and honored for
their outstanding contributions in the fields of Community Leadership,
Education, Health, Arts & Culture and Business/Technology. Each
honoree is profi led and their achievements highlighted in La Raza and
culminates in a presentation of their award at the prestigious luncheon.
Our executive director was awarded the Legacy Award. Below is the video as well as a transcript of the bio that was read.
Esther Sciammarella has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology and has been involved in clinical therapy, mental health service delivery, and community support and residential services for refugees and mentally ill clients. She is also a fellow graduate of Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Hispanic Health Leadership Fellowship Program, where she received extensive training for senior executives in state & local government with The National Alliance for Hispanic Health (formerly known as the National Coalition of Hispanic Health & Humans Services Organizations). In her ongoing partnership with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, she collaborated on the book “Salud!” A Latina’s Guide to Total Health-Body, Mind, and Spirit, by Jane Delgado, PhD – President and CEO of the Alliance.
Ms. Sciammarella is the Executive Director of the Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition, a 501 (c) (3) non-for-profit organization that she helped establish in June 1991 as a multi-disciplinary membership organization. Its mission is to promote healthy behavior and prevent chronic disease in the Hispanic community. The CHHC maintains a centralized forum for capacity building, coordination, and networking among health and human service providers and consumers. The Coalition also directly provides the Hispanic Community with health education and disease prevention workshops.
In addition to being on the board of the Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition, she is currently Community Co-Chair of Partnerships and Community Engagement for Healthy Chicago 2.0, Board Member for the Catholic Charities’ Latino Advisory Board, Chicago Bilingual Nurse Consortium (CBNC), Community Engagement for Early Recognition and Immediate Action in Stroke (CEERIAS), Gift of Hope, Health Alternative Systems (HAS), the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO), the Illinois Transplant Fund (ITF), the Telligen Learning and Action Network (LAN), the UIC Latino Community Advisory Council, and the UIC Urban Health Program.
She was also the Mercy Family Services at Lower West Community Liaison. In this role she has taken a former city clinic and transformed it into one of Mercy Hospital & Medical Centers’ most diversified satellite facilities. Ms. Sciammarella has spearheaded partnerships with Healthcare Alternative Systems and SGA Youth & Family Services to provide mental health services for adults and children, on-site. She continues to improve services offered at the Lower West clinic, by adding dental services as well.
Ms. Sciammarella retired as Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Hispanic Affairs at the Chicago Department of Public Health. In this capacity, she acted as a consultant and liaison between the department and the Hispanic community to ensure that programs and services were sensitive to Hispanics and assists in planning health-related programs in the community.