Executive Team
Executive Team
Our executive team is made up of committed, talented individuals who believe in our vision to bring quality, affordable healthcare to our communities.
Dr. Eleace Sawyers, MPhil, MPA, MAcc, CHC
President & Chief Executive OfficerEleace is an accomplished healthcare executive with over 23 years’ experience in the health care industry. As the President & Chief Executive Officer for Community Health Partnership of Illinois (“CHP”), she oversees an interdisciplinary staff, providing primary preventative healthcare services from seven (7) health center sites serving patients from more than seven counties in Illinois.
She is a proud recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Leaders in Health Care, the National Association of Community Health Centers’(NACHC) 2022 Outstanding Migrant Health Public Service Award, the Nonprofit HR 2022 Social Impact Woman to Watch Award, the 2017 Who’s Who in Black Cleveland “Game Changer” Award, the 2016 Community Development Leadership and Supporter Award (Diaspora Arts Coalition), the 2014 Florida Association of Community Health Centers Partnership Award and the 2012 South Florida’s 100 Most Accomplished Caribbean American Award.
Eleace serves on many community and professional boards, is a graduate of Florida International University, Millsaps College and Walden University. She is certified in healthcare compliance, a member of the Health Care Compliance Association and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Dr. Thomas Gavagan, M.D, MPA, BA
Medical Director
Dr. Gavagan has more than 35 years of experience in family and community medicine, served in multiple capacities as Medical and Assistant Medical Director positions. He obtained his medical degree from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Gavagan joined CHP in January 2024 as Medical Director, leading all clinical affairs. He is bilingual in English and Spanish, basic Gaelic, and German. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and holds a master’s in public health from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Art from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
n has over 35 years of experience. His scope of practice is clinical family medicine. He is fluent in Spanish, and basic Gaelic and German.
Dr. Ashu Rani Bansal, DDS
As Dental Director, Dr. Ashu Bansal leads CHP’s dental services for multiple sites inclusive of dental mobile services. She began her career at CHP as a staff dentist in 2021 and previously worked as a staff Dentist for 3 years with Will County Health Department’s Community Health Center providing oral care for the underserved population. In these roles she focused on educating and treating children, their parents, and families on the importance of preventive dental care and health benefits. Additionally, Dr. Bansal worked with Dental Dreams as a General Dentist providing dental treatments to patients of all age groups. Dr. Bansal enjoys volunteering at local dental health camps organized in the community.
Robert Aguero, BA, Finance
Robert Aguero is an experienced C-Suite leader with over 27 years’ experience in Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) financial management and operations inclusive of Accounting, Grants Management, Revenue Cycle, Treasury Management, and more. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Florida International University. His career with FQHCs began as a Director of Finance for a Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN). His role expanded to become the leader of Finance Departments at several FQHCs. Robert joined Community Health Partnership of Illinois in late 2024 and currently serves as its Vice President of Finance.