Our Team
Azher Quader, MD, President
Dr. Quader is a co-founder of Compassionate Care Network and a retired surgeon. He has also served on the Board of Albany Park Neighborhood Council (APNC), and Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Chicago. He is also a founding member of Community Builders Chicago (CBC), an organization devoted to empowering the community through education and civic engagement. As a ‘founding father’ of CCN, he has dedicated over 15 years of service to creating innovative ways of reducing health disparities in the community at large. Dr. Quader believes strongly in the need to improve healthcare access for all Americans, by breaking down barriers and creating new options for the underserved.
Badar Zaheer, MD, Vice President
Dr. Zaheer serves as a clinical lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine at Chicago Medical School and Resurrection Hospital. He is a board-certified family physician who also has been practicing emergency medicine for the past 18 years.
He has particular clinical interest in effective, non-pharmacologic management of disease, and is actively involved in educational programs with CCN. He recently published a book entitled “101 Clinical Cases in ER” as a manual and resource for healthcare providers.
Ayesha Sultana, MD, Co-Founder
Dr. Sultana has been an active member of CCN for over 10 years. She has served as Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois and as a senior staff physician at the Drug Dependency Treatment Center; Jesse Brown V.A. Medical Center, where she served as director of the Opioid Substitution Program. She has extensive community service experience, and has been recognized with service awards from Albany Park Neighborhood Council, Hamdard Center and the V.A. Medical Center. She has been an active coordinator of health screenings and regularly participates in patient education programs.
Dr. Sana Meah, DO, Secretary
Dr. Sana Meah is board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology. She practices in Munster, IN and has been with CCN since 2016. As Director of Programs, Dr. Meah has been instrumental in coordinating our weekly health screenings program, volunteer recruitment and training programs, along with coordinating our participation in large health fairs at various conventions. Dr. Meah is also dedicated to health education and improving awareness of preventative care for chronic disease such as diabetes. She has given grand rounds lectures at multiple hospitals and health fairs. In her experience caring for diabetics she has also found the need to manage many other associated medical conditions, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Noting the need for improved awareness of how lifestyle can effect chronic disease, Dr. Meah is motivated to promoting health education to the community at large.
Mohammad Gafoor, MD, Co-Founder
Dr. Gafoor is a board certified family practitioner in private practice with over 40 years of experience. He is co-founder of Compassionate Care Network and has served as president in the past. He has also served as Chairman of the Family Practice Department at the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and Westlake Hospital, Vice President of American Muslim Physicians of Indian Origin, and President of Alliance of Midwest India Association. Dr. Gafoor has been a leading board member of CCN for over 15 years.
Ejaz Rahim, MD.
Dr. Ejaz Rahim, M.D., DABR is Interim Chairman, Department of Radiology and Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Health Sciences/ The Chicago Medical School. She is also a staff radiologist at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago. She has been an active member of CCN for over 10 years.
Abrar Quader, JD., Executive Director
Abrar Quader is an attorney and serves as CCN’s Executive Director. He received his law degree from DePaul University and has extensive political experience. His work with CCN focuses on health equity as it relates to minority and low-income communities. He has been invited by the White House during the Obama administration to speak nationally to discuss CCN’s role in ACA expansion, particularly on our success and best practices enrolling largely immigrant and underserved communities. Abrar develops programs and coalitions to bring diverse community leaders together, both locally and nationally, to combat health disparities in at-risk communities.
Fatema Mirza, MBA,
Fatema Mirza received her graduate degree from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, and has extensive experience in healthcare IT and management. Her areas of focus include community health program design, ACA enrollment, and home health management. She was a lead coordinator for CCN’s Obamacare enrollment efforts, establishing SHIP sites to help elderly and immigrant patients understand their insurance coverage options. Fatema also has served as CCN’s program director for health screenings,. Before joining CCN, she had established and operated three home health agencies. She is dedicated to community health , particularly as it pertains to Asian and underserved populations.
Ahsan Khaja, CPA – Treasurer
Ahsan Khaja is a certified public accountant. He has been in practice for over 20 years. Although his focus is Tax compliance, he is well aware of the healthcare environment. He has been with CCN since 2014, serving as a board member and treasurer.
Yvonne Maffei
Yvonne Maffei, MA is a graduate of International Studies Spanish from Ohio University. She is a Food Writer, Publisher and Founder of her website and blog, www.myHalalKitchen.com She has grown up with a real passion for cooking and writing, setting out to make a career out of combining the two. She has written multiple cookbooks featuring halal recipes for the modern day kitchen.