Community Health Nurse Specialist Certification
PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago
MS, University of Illinois at Chicago
BSN, University of Illinois at Chicago
ADN, Triton College
Community health, intellectual disabilities, disabilities, mental health, health promotion, program development
Sarah Ailey, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Community, Systems, and Mental Health Nursing at Rush University, Chicago, IL. Her research and scholarly practice are concentrated on improving the lives of people with disabilities, in particular intellectual disabilities, by translating research into practice within community and inpatient hospital settings. She has been the advisor and/or content by translating research into practice within community and inpatient hospital settings expert for at least 36 PhD, DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) students on projects related to the care of people with disabilities, mostly related to intellectual disabilities.
She is currently investigating the effect of the Steps to Effective Problem-solving (STEPS) program in group homes, funded by an R01 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute. She, along with Drs. Molly Bathje and Tamar Heller, were funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to hold the PATH-PWD (Partnering to Transform Healthcare with People with Disabilities) Conference in 2017, with additional funding from the Working for Transformative Healthcare (WITH) Foundation to bring self-advocates with disabilities to the conference and to provide pre-conference training in conference advocacy prior to the conference.
Along with Dr. Beth Marks she was an author of the White Paper on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Nursing Educational Programs for the California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (CCEPD). Ailey has been on the Board of the Alliance for Disability in Healthcare Education since 2015 and has been the Vice-President since 2017. She recently received a “Pinnacle Nurse Leader” Award Power of Nursing Leadership Annual Meeting Chicago. Ailey also serves as the Presidents of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Disabilities in Health Care Educators.
Remembering, and respecting, the most vulnerable (American College of Physicians)
Comprehensive Program to Support Patients and Staff Improves Hospital Experience for Adult Patients With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AHRQ Innovation Profile)
2018 Pinnacle Nurse Leader Award Power of Nursing Leadership Annual Meeting Chicago
2015 Excellence in Community Service Award, Rush University
2009 Eugene J-MA Thonar Award – Rush University Medical Center for contribution to Rush’s efforts to improve possibilities for individuals with disabilities; patients, employees and community.
Administration For Community Living
90DNHE0001-01-00
Principal Investigator
2020 - 2025
Partnering to Transform Health Outcomes with Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities (PATH-PWIDD)
NIH, National Institute of Aging
R01AG056393
Co-Investigator
2018 - 2021
Dementia Caregiver Chronic Grief Management: A Live Online Video Intervention
Internal Funding
Co-Investigator
2018
Shared decision-making and people with disabilities
Internal Funding
Co-Investigator
2018
Hospitality Services for people with Disabilities. Hosted by Rush University Medical Center.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development
R01HD086211
2016 - 2021
Principal Investigator
Steps to Effective Problem-Solving in Group Homes
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
R13HS024843
Principal Investigator
Partnering to Transform Healthcare with People with Disabilities Conference
The Special Hope Foundation (now the Working for Inclusive and Transformative Healthcare Foundation)
Principal Investigator
Partnering to Transform Healthcare with People with Disabilities Conference