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Keeping Your Child Safe While Traveling

Whether you’re simply taking a weekend trip to visit the grandparents, or you and the family are flying internationally, you must know how to keep everyone healthy and safe while on vacation. After all, the last thing you want to worry about is looking up local hospitals near your hotel in the middle of the night. Here are some tips for how to keep your little ones safe while traveling.

Bring all Medications with You…

And make sure you have enough. This is especially important if you are going to spend a couple of weeks on vacation. You will want to make sure that your child has access to their medications and that they don’t run out. If you’re flying, make sure to pack all medications in your carry-on, just in case the airline happens to lose your luggage.

Get the Appropriate Vaccinations

While travel throughout the US won’t typically require your child to get inoculated, traveling abroad may require certain vaccines ahead of time. You must schedule an appointment with your child’s pediatrician about a month in advance to make sure that they get all appropriate vaccinations before travel.

Depending on where you’re traveling, your pediatrician may recommend certain immunizations against typhoid, yellow fever, meningitis, or rabies. Your child may also require antimalarial drugs to protect against malaria.

Get Travel Insurance

While we never want to imagine a medical emergency happening while abroad, it is important to be prepared just in case your child breaks their arm or gets sick. In this case, having travel insurance can be a major stress-reliever and lifesaver. Most travel insurance covers kids under 17 years of age and also provides emergency care and 24/7 assistance.

Traveling During COVID-19

Of course, during the pandemic, medical officials highly recommend avoiding any travel unless essential. While we understand everyone’s desire to travel again and for life to return to normal, we must be doing our part to keep everyone safe during this time. If you do need to travel make sure to wear a mask, practice good hygiene and social distancing, and choose outdoor places such as parks where you can avoid crowds and other people.

If you do have questions about traveling with your child, or about getting them the proper vaccines before travel, talk with your child’s pediatrician. It’s important to talk with a pediatrician a month or more before your trip so that you can ensure that your child has everything they need before traveling.

About Us

IWS Family Health provides healthcare services, education, and support to children and families in the Chicagoland area.

Call us +1 (773) 782-2800

IWS Family Health provides healthcare services, education, and support to children and families in the Chicagoland area.

Call us +1 (773) 782-2800

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Join The Team

IWS Family Health is a 501(c)3 Charitable Organization (Tax ID #: 36-2167752). IWS Family Health is a Federally-Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike and a member of the Illinois Primary Healthcare Association (IPHCA) and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

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Dr. Hayley Sparks

Pediatrician

Dr. Hayley Sparks is a board-certified pediatrician with a passion for providing high-quality, family-centered care. She earned her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. 

Before moving to Chicago, Dr. Sparks worked as a pediatrician and clinical instructor for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she provided primary care for children in a busy community health center. Her favorite part of being a pediatrician is the relationships and trust she gets to build with her patients and families. She is excited to continue supporting children’s health and development as part of the IWS Family Health team. 

Outside of medicine, Dr. Sparks enjoys practicing yoga, reading poetry, and spending time outdoors with her husband and young son.

Anne Bradley

Senior Director of Human Resources
Anne Bradley joined IWS Family Health with more than 20 years of experience supporting both nonprofit and financial service organizations. She is passionate about creating a positive workplace where staff feel valued, engaged, and supported in their growth. Anne earned her Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Boston University and her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The American University.  In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with Project Linus and at her local library. 

Samantha Speaks

Chief Operating Officer
Samantha Speaks brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in healthcare and nonprofit organizations to her Chief Operating Officer role at IWS Family Health. She is passionate about strengthening systems so that patients and families receive the best possible care and support. Prior to IWS, she served as Executive Director of Chicago Operations at The Community Blood Center, where she focused on building stronger connections between healthcare services and community needs.  Samantha has a strong background in finance, compliance, and operations, but what drives her most is creating an environment where teams can thrive, and patients feel supported. Her leadership has helped organizations improve efficiency, enhance service quality, and expand their impact in meaningful ways.  She holds a Master of Science in Medical Informatics from Northwestern University, an MBA in Healthcare Management from American Intercontinental University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Speech Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

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Cathy Alvarez, MSN, CPNP-PC

Family Practice

Cathy Alvarez, MSN, CPNP-PC, is a board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with over two decades of experience dedicated to nurturing the health and well-being of children from birth through adolescence. Known for her warm, individualized approach to care, Cathy is passionate about building lasting relationships with her patients and their families—many of whom she’s supported through every milestone of childhood.

Cathy began her nursing career after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1999. She gained valuable experience working on the inpatient pediatric unit at Advocate Lutheran Children’s Hospital in Aurora. Driven to deepen her impact, she returned to UIC to complete the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program, earning her Master of Science in Nursing in 2005. She is certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) and has since devoted her career to providing expert care to diverse pediatric populations.

She is an active member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, always staying at the forefront of pediatric healthcare.
Fluent in English and Polish, with conversational Spanish skills, Cathy connects seamlessly with families from many cultural backgrounds.

Outside of work, you can find her cheering on her son at soccer games, exploring new destinations, and enjoying quality time with her family. Her caring spirit and clinical excellence make her a trusted partner in every child’s healthcare journey.” 

Marixa Alvarez, ARN, MSN, FNP-BC

Family Practice

Marixa Alvarez, ARN, MSN, FNP-BC, is a dedicated and compassionate Family Nurse Practitioner, board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Lewis University, where she cultivated her passion for holistic, patient-centered care.

Fluent in both English and Spanish, Marixa connects deeply with diverse communities, ensuring every patient feels heard and supported. Outside of the clinic, you’ll likely find her in the kitchen—cooking, baking, and bringing people together over a homemade meal. A fun fact? Marixa has a knack for solving puzzles and putting things together—whether it’s a 1,000-piece jigsaw or helping patients piece together their path to better health.

Carlos Sian, PA

Physician Assistant

Carlos is a board-certified Physician Assistant who joined the IWS Family Health team in January 2024. He was born and raised in Antigua, Guatemala and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

His academic journey began at Saint Michael’s College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology alongside minors in Chemistry and Religious Studies. Driven by a commitment to service, he devoted a year to volunteering as a medical assistant at a health clinic in Albuquerque, NM, through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. This experience solidified his interest in medicine, inspiring him to delve deeper into healthcare and ultimately leading Carlos to pursue a Master of Public Health in Community Health Sciences and Infectious Diseases from Boston University School of Public Health.

Following his MPH, Carlos dedicated several years to the public health sector, primarily serving as a linkage to care coordinator,  clinical research coordinator, and COVID-19 contact tracer. Moved by a need to help his community during the 2020 pandemic, he secured admission to and completed the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine PA program, earning his Master of Medical Science degree.

Carlos aims to integrate his public health training with his medical practice to bring culturally competent and inclusive medical services to all his patients, but specially the Hispanic/Latino and LGTBQ+ communities he serves. In his downtime, Carlos enjoys cooking, collecting plants, fostering dogs, playing video games, watching reality TV shows, and adding more stamps to his passport!

Dr. Tara Ioffe

Family Practice

Dr. Tara Ioffe is a dedicated and compassionate Board-Certified Family Medicine physician with a strong commitment to providing excellent care to her patients. She obtained her medical degree from Avalon University in Curacao and went on to complete her Family Medicine Residency at the University of Oklahoma. She has worked at the University of Chicago and most recently NorthShore University. She has since returned to Chicago and is thrilled to join the IWS Family Health team in 2023, where she will continue to provide excellent care to her patients.

Throughout her career, Dr. Ioffe has gained experience in diverse medical fields, such as immediate and urgent care medicine while working at NorthShore Immediate Care. She did clinical research at the University of Chicago. Dr. Ioffe strives to foster a secure and inclusive environment for all her patients. She believes in an integrated approach to medicine, dedicating her time to understand each patient’s unique needs.

During her leisure time, Dr. Ioffe indulges in reading a variety of books for pleasure, plays boardgames, and loves to explore Chicago with her spouse and young child.