Patient and Community Engaged Research Center (PACER)

Sandra Juarez

Sandra began her career as a certified medical assistant then decided to pursue her education and obtain her master's degree in public healthcare and leadership. She enjoys serving in her community and participating in various programs where she developed a deep understanding of direct patient care and the intricacies of social work and care coordination.

Which recently includes being part of the PACER PEARLs program as a participant. She hopes to provide valuable input and contribute to improvement for the next generation. Outside of work Sandra enjoys spending time outdoors with her beagle named Shiloh and traveling with her family and friends.

Sandra Reed

Sandra Reed is a retired eligibility specialist from Health and Human Services. She has dedicated over 30 years helping people in need with food, finances and medical needs. She is passionate about helping people in need and finding resources and opportunities to exceed in life. She is currently active in the Baylor Scott & White fitness programs where is taking measures to improve her overall health and wellness. She enjoys meeting new people and learning new skills.

Angel Barron

Angel is a current operations manager for Baylor Scott & White based at the Douglass community clinic in Plano. This clinic, like most of Angel’s career, focuses on low income, uninsured patients. Prior to Baylor, Angel oversaw the care coordination department for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Dallas, Los Barrios Unidos, where he managed outgoing referrals and community health programs across four physical locations. Angel graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelors of Science in Biology.

Angelica Medrano

Angelica has been proudly working for healthcare systems since May of 2007. She is currently dedicated to serving patients at Baylor Scott & White Community Care in Fort Worth as a NRCMA, where she has been for nearly 7 years. Angelica’s work focuses on helping and building relationships with individuals in communities with less access to adequate resources available. She helps to make sure people in these communities get the resources that are available by outreach and building trustful relationships. Understanding these needs, she thrives on helping individuals with unique, personalized health needs and making sure they get the support needed in achieving a better quality of life. Angelica believes in aid by bridging the gaps as much as possible via educating them with their chronic diseases, connecting them with additional resources and managing their care. Angelica has firsthand experience navigating the challenges of chronic and life-threatening illnesses via caring for her daughter when she battled Leukemia (ALL), along with helping to manage a journey of ESRD with a successful Kidney Pancreas transplant. She is excited to be a part of PACER PEARLs, be able to contribute a meaningful outlook that enhances patient care, and strengthens the connection between healthcare providers with the communities we serve.

Tiffany Jones

Tiffany Denee’ Jones is the founder and spokesperson of the PinkChoseMe Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness about breast cancer and supporting women diagnosed with the disease. As a three-time breast cancer survivor, Tiffany intimately understands the profound physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual challenges posed by a life-threatening illness. This personal journey has inspired her to dedicate her life to educating others and empowering them to navigate their own battles. Through her work, Tiffany promotes not only awareness but also wellness and lifestyle choices that foster resilience and healing.

Kim Gardner

As a community advocate with over 10 years of experience in non-profit and continuing education, Kim is deeply invested in addressing concerns, promoting social change, and empowering residents in her local community. Advocating for policies and initiatives that improve quality of life is at the heart of her work, with a focus on specific issues such as education, healthcare, environmental protection, and social justice. Kim relies on outreach, collaboration with local leaders, and public engagement efforts to effect positive change in these areas.

Katherine Sanchez, PhD, LCSW

PACER Center Director

Dr. Sanchez is the Research Center Director of the BSWRI Patient and Community Engaged Research (PACER) Center for the Baylor Scott and White Research Institute (BSWRI) of the Baylor Scott and White Health (BSWH) system. She leads a nationally recognized research program, funded by multiple federal and state agencies. The PACER Center guides BSWRI toward integrating a health equity approach across the research enterprise by facilitating the engagement, enrollment, and retention of populations historically underrepresented in research and clinical trials. The PACER Center also provides guidance and serves as a resource to investigators and research staff for engaging, enrolling, and developing metrics for broad representation in studies.

As the third daughter of a Mexican American immigrant mother in a single parent household in her native El Paso, Dr. Sanchez was indoctrinated with a strong sense of obligation and interdependency among people. She entered the Ph.D. program at the University of Texas at Austin after fifteen years of clinical social work practice, primarily in medical settings with uninsured, underserved Spanish-speaking populations. During her years of clinical social work practice, Dr. Sanchez cultivated an interest in and an understanding of the unique skills necessary for the provision of mental health services to monolingual Spanish-speaking populations. She is a clinician researcher with extensive experience in investigating effective interventions aimed at reducing behavioral health disparities and understanding the role of cultural and linguistic competence in health and behavioral health care delivery. She has examined the role of integrated behavioral health in reducing disparities in racial and ethnic minority populations, and has an additional research agenda to translate the evidence in integrated behavioral health care by training culturally diverse, bilingual social workers in evidence-based interventions proven effective for racial and ethnic minority populations. Most recently, Dr. Sanchez was awarded $7.5 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to establish the Texas Cohort of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Connect for Cancer Prevention study to enroll patients from geographically dense and rural, racially/ethnically diverse populations to leverage the clinical resources and research infrastructure of the largest non-profit integrated health care system in Texas. Dr. Sanchez is the BSWH representative to the governing board of the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN). This network of 20 non-profit healthcare delivery systems was formed in 1994. She is the BSWH site PI for the NIH-funded Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) and the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Addiction Research Network, Health Systems Node, both multi-health system networks which bring together researchers and research departments embedded in large and diverse healthcare systems in a population-based approach to transforming behavioral health care; with expertise in mental health research as well as epidemiology, health services, economics, disparities, outcomes & quality assessment, as well as conducting pragmatic clinical trials in our health systems.

Dr. Sanchez has been appointed by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to its Advisory Panel on Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research (HDDR) where she applies her experience and expertise to helping PCORI refine and prioritize the research it funds and ensure that the research PCORI supports centers on the outcomes that matter to patients and other healthcare decision makers. Dr. Sanchez is a fellow of the Implementation Research Institute (IRI) and is well prepared and supported to conduct research on examining barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based interventions into low resourced settings, which holds high promise for reducing the mental health treatment gap for disparity populations in community practice.

Jan Pillai, MHSA, BS

PACER Center Manager

Jan Pillai is the PACER Center Manager. Jan is responsible for the daily operations of the Center and for developing and executing operational plans leading to BSWRI improvement in engagement of underrepresented populations in research. Jan leads a team of Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) and Project Managers (PMs) to engage with BSWH clinical areas across urban and rural settings. In her role, she provides administrative support to Dr. Sanchez and the PACER team with patient engagement, recruitment, and research studies operations. Jan also oversees and supports the PACER staff coordinating the Patient Engaged as Research Leaders (PEARLS).

Jan comes to the PACER Center from the American Heart Association where she was Director, Healthcare Program Implementation in the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI), a $32 million cooperative agreement with the HHS Office of Minority Health and HRSA that provides training and technical assistance to 350 FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Center) across the United States to improve blood pressure control. Prior to joining the AHA, Jan served in a leadership role overseeing health center operations, quality improvement and compliance at a FQHC in Michigan for more than 10 years.

Myka Watts

Project Manager/Connect Study Manager

Myka Watts is the Program Manager for the NIH’s Connect for Cancer Prevention study. Myka joined Baylor in 2024 and brings a diverse range of skills and experience to the PACER Center. She has worked for several notable organizations, including Deloitte, Planned Parenthood, and Wayne State University. Myka holds a master's degree in health services administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor's degree in applied health sciences from Bowling Green State University. With over 10 years of experience in health care administration and operations, she values teamwork and mission-driven work, with a keen interest in public and community health.

Taylor Grant Gates

Project Manager for PACER PEARLS

Taylor joins is the Project Manager for the PACER Center patient advisory board, PACER PEARLS. Taylor will manage administrative and operational functions, as well as manage daily logistics for the PACER PEARLS.

As a first-generation student that overcame many academic, financial, and personal adversities, Taylor has made it her mission to engage with the community and share resources to assist with any specific needs that they might have. She was once a person that “didn’t know, what I didn’t know”, but her mission is to make sure at least one other person doesn’t miss out on opportunities for that same reason. Taylor has a background in community engagement, higher education, leadership development, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic practices. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a B.A in Emerging Media and Communications, and attained her master's in public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Consuelo Blanco

Clinical Research Coordinator

Consuelo Blanco is a dedicated professional with rich background in both healthcare services and social services. She graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington (UTA) with a degree in social work, and she is currently pursuing her Master’s in Social Work. Consuelo comes to Baylor Scott and White Health with over 10 years of experience as a certified Phlebotomist. In this role, she has honed her skills in patient interaction, specimen collection and laboratory procedures. Her experience working directly with patients has equipped her with excellent customer services skills. She understands the importance of empathy, patience and effective communication in providing high-quality patient care. Consuelo has utilized her background in healthcare and customer service to engage in meaningful research and community outreach. Consuelo focuses on promoting patient-centered approaches and enhancing the impact of research on community health care clinics.

Martha Buendia

Clinical Research Coordinator

Martha Buendia comes to Baylor Scott & White after working at a law firm as a call center representative. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in social justice and social welfare from the University of Texas at Arlington and is currently working on her master’s degree in social work. Martha is interested in working with populations that are underrepresented and need support. She is bilingual and proud of her roots. Martha brings to the team strong problem solving and organizational skills. She continues to learn from her role and is eager to gain more knowledge.

Fatima Elshlali

Research Enrollment Analyst

Fatima Elshlali is a healthcare professional with over eight years of experience in patient-centered care and engagement. She began her career in clinical research with a nationwide NIH study of over 800,000 participants at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, where she gained valuable experience in research enrollment, regulatory compliance, and patient advocacy. Currently, she serves as a Research Enrollment Analyst, overseeing recruitment processes and collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize enrollment strategies. With expertise in clinical research, phlebotomy, and patient engagement, Fatima is committed to improving research accessibility and participant satisfaction. She is proficient in process improvement, data-driven strategic planning, and is bilingual (English & Arabic). Fatima holds a B.Sc. in Healthcare Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a Certified Phlebotomy Technician. At PACER, she applies her experience to further enhance research efforts and patient-centered initiatives.

Regina Rodriguez

Clinical Research Coordinator

Regina Rodriguez started at Baylor in 2023 as a Research Enrollment Analyst in a nationwide NIH research study with over 600,000 participants, focused on genetic testing. Her role included bringing Latino/Hispanic populations into the research program and conducting community outreach for underrepresented groups. As team lead, she was cross trained in all areas of the research program. Regina holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and is a Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT). She is currently pursing her master's degree in social work at Univ of Texas Arlington (UTA). Before entering the research field, Regina worked as a microbiology laboratory technician, where she discovered her passion for science and thrived in a team environment. Recently promoted to a Clinical Research Coordinator and working with the Patient and Community Engaged Research (PACER) Center, she will leverage her strong leadership skills, passion for helping others, and research expertise to drive advancements.

Avia Gray, PhD

Research Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Avia Gray is the Research Postdoctoral Fellow for the PACER Center. A Texas native, she holds a Bachelors in Psychology from Abilene Christian University, a Masters in Psychological Research from Texas State University, and a Doctorate in Psychological Sciences with an emphasis in Health Psychology from the University of California at Merced. Dr. Gray utilizes holistic methodologies to identify existing barriers at the intersection of social identity and health, focusing on marginalized communities with chronic health conditions. Driven by a passion for healthcare inclusivity and equity, she works to develop innovative solutions that optimize health status for underserved populations.