Staff

CAPT Jeasmine Aizvera is a Supervisory Social Worker within the SWD. She specializes in Performance Improvement, Clinical Quality, and collaborates regularly to enhance information systems for patient care and workload/productivity tracking. CAPT Aizvera received her Masters of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in 1993. Prior to joining the NIH Clinical Center, she worked in community mental health with children, adolescents, and adults. Throughout her time at the Clinical Center, she has provided clinical care to patients living with chronic and rare infectious diseases and has worked with child/adolescent behavioral health teams. CAPT Aizvera has supervised social work staff assigned to various research teams and programs throughout the CC. She has trained numerous students, interns, and social work staff. In addition to her supervisory and program management tasks, she continues to provide clinical services to patients on a limited basis.

Brenda J. Robles is a California State Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) with 27 years of experience in Simultaneous, Consecutive and Conference Interpreting in healthcare and law. Robles serves as the Language Interpreters Program Manager at the NIH CC since 2008. Robles conducts trainings in Effective Cross Cultural Medicine, LEP patients and Informed Consent, Communication as a matter of patient safety, and the role of medical interpreters in the interdisciplinary team. In June 2017, Robles presented at Harvard University by invitation of The Cervantes Institute and The Royal Academy of Medicine of Spain on Effective Communication Practices between monolingual doctors and LEP populations in clinical research. Robles’ publication collaborations include "Teaching Medical Spanish to Improve Population Health: Evidence for Incorporating Language Education and Assessment in U.S. Medical Schools." Health Equity Journal, https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2019.0028 and “Strategies for Teaching Linguistic Preparedness for Physicians: Medical Spanish and Global Linguistic Competence in Undergraduate Medical Education.” Health Equity Journal, https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2019.0029.

Ms. Robles received a BA in French Literature from the University of California Riverside with minor in International Relations. She was an Education Abroad Scholar from 1989 - 1990 at L’Université de Poitiers, France, Department of Literature & Languages and the College of Law & Social Sciences. She received her Certificate in Professional Interpretation and Translation from The University of California Riverside, Extension Program. She is also credentialed as a Certified Medical Interpreter. Ms. Robles is highly committed to the core values of stewardship, mentorship, community service, diversity, cultural competence, as well as equal rights and advocacy for underserved minority populations.

Angela Sluzalis is a Supervisory Social Worker and the Director of Education and Training within the Social Work Department. She graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 2009 from the University of Maryland with an emphasis on mental health and substance abuse. She also graduated with a Masters in Health Care Administration in 2015 from Mount Saint Mary’s with a certification in Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Ms. Sluzalis recently joined NIH after serving as the Chief of the Multi-Disciplinary Active Duty Clinic at Fort Meade and Deputy Chief for Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health for the National Capital Region Market. Prior to this, she spent 11 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs in various leadership and direct care roles working with multiple populations to include: homeless Veterans, Veterans with serious mental illness and substance abuse and Veterans with complex medical needs. Ms. Sluzalis also spent several years working in a local emergency room as a trauma/psychiatric social worker.

She has worked closely with colleges and universities with students in both undergraduate and graduate social work field placements.

Jennifer Ackerman Helfand received her BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master in Social Work from Hunter College in New York City. Much of her career has been spent in acute and outpatient medical areas focusing on medical social work. She has worked in community mental health settings with adults living with chronic illness, geriatric social work, and palliative care. Ms. Ackerman Helfand is currently working at the NIH in the Safety Responder role providing safety assessment and follow up with patients as well as with the NCI Lymphoma Team.

Ms. Shaina Alvarez received her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Maryland. Prior to coming to NIH, Ms. Alvarez worked as a bilingual social worker at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC where she helped pediatric patients and their families cope with chronic and acute illnesses. She also provided mental health services and crisis intervention. Ms. Alvarez co-led the continuing education program and supervised social work interns.

Ms. Julie Angel completed her Bachelor of Social Work from Grand Valley State University in 2002 where she started her career in the non-profit sector working with patients and families living with cancer. She also obtained her Masters of Social Work degree from Grand Valley State University in 2005 and became an advocate for those living in long-term care. Ms. Angel started her work in health care in 2008 with the University of Michigan Health System (now Michigan Medicine), where she had a variety of experience working with patients and families in critical care, otolaryngology, urology and pulmonary. Ms. Angel relocated to the Washington, D.C. area in 2016 to continue her work in health care at Medstar Washington Hospital Center where she spent 3 years working with neurosurgery and stroke populations. She transitioned to George Washington University Hospital in 2019 with a focus in oncology before coming to the NIH Clinical Center in May of 2020 where she continues her work with oncology patients.

Ms. Eva Crawford received her Master’s degree in Social Work at the National Catholic School of Social Service and has been working at the Clinical Center since 2019. Prior to joining the NIH, she worked as a medical social worker in both home-based and clinic-based dialysis centers in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Ms. Crawford works with NIAID and the NHLBI Lab of Chronic Airway Infection.

Mrs. Meghan Co earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ in 2013. Since that time, Mrs. Co has worked in the field of medical social work in the Washington, DC area. She has extensive experience in disaster response, community mental health, discharge planning, and medical social work. Mrs. Co’s primary clinical interests are end of life care and health care policy. She joined The NIH Clinical Center in 2020 and currently supports sickle cell transplant patients and protocols.

Jennifer Davies Hendricks received a BA in Psychology from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1986 and a Masters in Social Work from Florida State University, Tallahassee in 1989. Much of her career has been in the acute medical rehabilitation area serving as a social worker, case manager and then in management. Ms. Hendricks joined the NIH Clinical Center Social Work Department in 2011 working with individuals and their caregivers receiving treatment through several bone marrow transplant teams.

Sarah Hoffman received her Bachelor of Social Work and Masters of Social Work from the University of Alabama School of Social Work. She has worked in the field of social work for over 10 years. Prior to NIH, Sarah worked at Johns Hopkins Community Physicians and Holy Cross Germantown Hospital. Sarah has extensive experience in medical social work, complex discharge planning, and geriatric social work. Sarah primarily works with the National Cancer Institute’s HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch (HAMB).

Ms. Hunter earned her MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2012. She also earned her drug and alcohol counseling licensure in March of 2019. Prior to joining the NIH, Ms. Hunter worked in Baltimore City, treating patients with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Prior to joining the NIH SWD in 2020, she worked in Washington, DC at George Washington Hospital with psychiatric patients.

Mary (Beth) Morrow received her BSW from Regis College outside of Boston in 1997 and her MSW from the University of Alabama’s School of Social Work in 1998. She has over 20 years of experience as a medical social worker. She worked previously at the NIH Clinical Center from 2004-2007 and she returned to the NIH Clinical Center Department of Social Work in 2020. She has worked in several community hospitals and served as the social work supervisor for a skilled nursing facility in the DC area. She has broad range of medical social work experience but has focused her social work practice in oncology and holds an additional certification in oncology social work (OSW-C). She works primarily with adult oncology patients enrolled in research protocols through the National Cancer Institute here at the Clinical Center.

Ms. Stearn received a Master of Social Work from Catholic University, National Catholic School of Social Service. She has worked as a clinical social worker with the Clinical Center since 2015. She works with patients enrolled on protocols with several branches of the National Cancer Institute, including Surgery-Immunotherapy, Neuro-Oncology, Women’s Malignancies and Radiation/Oncology.

Born in Seattle, WA and raised in Peru, I embarked on a journey that shaped my career in language interpretation. In 2005, I achieved certification as a Spanish Interpreter by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in Seattle, WA. This marked the beginning of my professional path in the field. Over the years, I have worked in diverse medical and non-medical settings as an independent contractor, providing interpretation services. My dedication and expertise led me to pursue further certifications, including the National Board of Certified Interpreters (NBCMI) and the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI). These national certifications validated my skills as a Medical Interpreter, enhancing my professional credibility. In 2018, I continued my journey as an independent contractor, at the National Institute of Health (NIH). A year later, an exciting opportunity emerged, and I transitioned into a full-time role as a valued employee at the NIH. This marked a significant milestone in my career, allowing me to contribute my skills and knowledge in a more comprehensive capacity. Throughout my professional journey, I have strived to deliver exceptional interpretation services, bridging language barriers and facilitating effective communication in healthcare settings. I am grateful for the experiences and opportunities that have shaped my career, and I look forward to further growth and contribution in this field.

Puerto Rican born and raised, Mrs. Garay joined the SWD in 2013 as an interpreter intern through the prestigious HACU National Internship Program. Having graduated with a MA in Translation from the University of Puerto Rico in 2014 Mrs. Garay pursued and attained her certification as a medical interpreter (CMI-Spanish) through the National Board of Certified Medical Interpreters. Mrs. Garay has been a staff interpreter with the Language Interpreters Program at the NIH Clinical Center since October 2014. She is a senior member of the department and a mentor to the SWD’s HACU internship students.

As a native Spanish speaker born and raised in Guatemala, Ms. Heidi Hobson studied at the highly regarded Colegio Guatemalteco Bilingüe. She attended the Universidad de San Carlos. Heidi initiated her Interpreting Career as a Volunteer Interpreter for "Feed the Children Foundation" and various International Medical Mission Campaigns throughout rural areas of Guatemala and El Salvador. As a Medical Field Interpreter, Heidi served as a relay interpreter between U.S. Doctors, Nurses, Volunteer support staff, and multitudes of Indigenous and Spanish speaking patients for free immunization campaigns, dental, speech therapy, nutrition, and surgical clinics. Her commitment to the art of effective communication was only paralleled by her compassion for the ill and underserved. Once living in the US, Heidi worked for the Myofascial and Manual Therapy Institute of Plano Texas, The North Dallas Rehabilitation Center, and Lee Memorial Health System (LMHS) in FL. Her interpreting experience includes Physical and Occupational Therapy, Psychology services, Labor and Delivery, NICU/PICU, and Emergency room care. She completed courses through LMHS and Cross-Cultural Communications in MD. Heidi has taught Medical Interpretation courses focusing on the Ethics and Standards of care, for fellow employees at LMHS. She is a qualified Court Interpreter for the State of Florida. Heidi relocated to Maryland when she accepted a Language Interpreter position at NIH.

Ms. Huang is a native Spanish-speaker born and raised in Peru. She obtained her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Brigham Young University - Idaho. She went on to do an internship in a molecular biology laboratory at the University of California - Davis, after which she continued working in the same field of research at the University of Maryland - College Park. She began her interpreting career in the maternal and child services department at Holy Cross Hospital which spanned the NICU and high-risk perinatal care. Since then, she has gained extensive experience in acute psychiatric care, as well as ICU and emergency care. In 2018, she became certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and remains deeply committed to ensuring patient safety through meaningful, professional language access.

Ms. Vélez Toro was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Human Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón campus, and began her Master’s degree in Translation at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. Ms. Vélez Toro came to the NIH in 2017 through the HACU National Internship Program, and became a staff interpreter in 2018. During this time, she became a certified medical interpreter through the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI). Ms. Vélez Toro is a senior interpreter in the program and mentor to administrative and interpreter staff.