About Us

Engage, Educate, and Empower for Equity:
E4 Center of Excellence for
Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging

The mission of the E4 Center is to engage, empower, and educate health care providers and community-based organizations for equity in behavioral health for older adults and their families. E4 will achieve this through the provision of education, implementation resources, and technical assistance regarding mental health, substance use, and their intersection with physical health. To learn more, please watch the video below or please click here.

Our Team

LEADERSHIP

Co-Director

Erin Emery-Tiburcio, PhD, ABPP is an Associate Professor of Geriatric and Rehabilitation Psychology, and Geriatric Medicine at Rush University Medical Center. She co-directs the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging and CATCH-ON, the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program based at Rush.

Co-Director

Robyn Golden, LCSW, is the associate vice president of population health and aging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where she also holds academic appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry and Health Systems Management. She is responsible for developing and overseeing health promotion and disease prevention, mental health, care coordination and transitional care services for older adults, family caregivers and people with chronic conditions.

Scientific Leadership

Steve Bartels, MD, MS is Director of the Mongan Institute and the James J. and Jean H. Mongan Chair of Health Policy and Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Bartels is a geriatric psychiatrist and has published over 350 articles and book chapters. He has an extensive background developing, evaluating, and implementing interventions for complex conditions and in the field of geriatric mental health.

Scientific Leadership

Frederic C. Blow, PhD is a Professor and Director of the U-M Addiction Center in the Department of Psychiatry. He is a career researcher and educator in the field of alcohol and substance use screening, interventions, and treatments, particularly among older adults.

Program Manager Lead

Michelle Newman, MPH manages Rush University Medical Center’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, called CATCH-ON, participating in the development and dissemination of innovative programs aimed at developing Age-Friendly Health Communities. Michelle also manages all activities of the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging, coordinating aging initiatives across the health system.

Program Manager

Desire Bernard-Forbes, MA is the Program Manager for the E4 Center. She has years of project management, non-profit, and community organization leadership experience, and recently completed her master’s degree in social work.

CONTENT EXPERTISE

Content Expert

Susan Buehler, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. Her clinical practice is in the section of Rehabilitation Psychology and Geropsychology and she has special interest in coping with chronic medical conditions, tinnitus, caregiving, and stress physiology.

Content Expert

Elizabeth (Lizzi) Cummings, MSW, LCSW is the Manager of Clinical Excellence and Training within the Department of Social Work and Community Health of Rush University Medical Center. Lizzi is also the Lead of Hospital Integration with the Center for Health and Social Care Integration (CHaSCI) and provides technical assistance support within the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging.

Content Expert

Eve Escalante, LCSW is a clinical social worker and Manager of Program Innovation with Rush’s Social Work and Community Health Department. Eve develops training content for the E4 Center.

Content Expert

Bonnie Ewald, MA, is the Associate Director of the Center for Health and Social Care Integration (CHaSCI). Bonnie contributes to the technical assistance activities and policy academies that advance age-friendly health communities via integrated partnerships between health systems and community-based organizations.

Content Expert

Gregory A. Hinrichsen, Ph.D., ABPP provides clinical services, conducted research, directed psychology internship and fellowship programs, contributed to public policy, and had leadership roles in professional organizations. Dr. Hinrichsen is Associate Clinical Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Adjunct Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City.

Content Expert

Rebecca Lahey, LCSW is the Manager of Mental Health in the Social Work and Community Health Department and the Acting Manager of Operations under the Office of the Chief Wellness Officer for Rush University System for Health. Rebecca develops E4 training content.

Content Expert

Laurin Mack, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Geriatric and Rehabilitation Psychology at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Mack is involved with the curriculum design, teaching, and assessment in the Rush Medical College. She is also a co-investigator for Rush’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, CATCH-ON.

Content Expert

Suzanne Musil, PhD, ABPP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center.  She is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and director of the Rush Center for Cognitive Resilience. She works on the E4 training content.

Content Expert

Sandra S. Swantek, MD, is the Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry, Rush University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and a content consultant to E4.

EVALUATION

Lead Evaluator

Janis Sayer, PhD, MSW, is a Health Services Researcher within Rush University Medical Center’s Department of Social Work and Community Health. Janis oversees evaluation for E4.

CREATIVE DEVELOPER

Creative Developer

Her expertise is creating digital and print innovations that capture attention and demand engagement, all while getting people to come back for more.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Administrative Support

Jack Carpenter, MFA provides administrative support for the Center for Excellence in Aging at Rush University Medical Center. He has worked in nonprofits for nearly ten years.

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Kathleen Cameron, BSPharm, MPH, Senior Director of the National Council on Aging Center for Healthy Aging

Nirmala Dhar, LCSW, Oregon Health Authority

Robert Espinoza, MPA, Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute

Zvi Gellis, PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Michele Karel, PhD, ABPP, Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office

Mark Kunik, MD, MPH, Baylor College of Medicine

Peter Lichtenberg, PhD, ABPP, Wayne State University

Christy Malik, MSW, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Sandy Markwood, MA, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging

Sara Qualls, PhD, ABPP, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Brian Sims, MD, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Amy York, Eldercare Workforce Alliance

PARTNER SUPPORT

Please click here to learn about the Gerontological Society of America’s Reframing Aging

Please click here to learn about the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group

Please click here to learn about the Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Please click here to learn about the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Please click here to learn about the University of Illinois at Chicago – College of Pharmacy