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.
In the News
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)
