Our Team

Daniel Bustillo is Executive Director of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP), a national organization of SEIU unions and healthcare employers who are partnering in support of developing quality healthcare career education models for high road jobs that increase equity in the healthcare workforce. 

Daniel Bustillo is Executive Director of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP), a national organization of SEIU unions and healthcare employers who are partnering in support of developing quality healthcare career education models for high road jobs that increase equity in the healthcare workforce. He is also Vice President of the H-CAP Education Association – a related organization comprised of a network of industry-based healthcare training partnerships. And as Director of the National Center for Healthcare Apprenticeships (NCHA) he has played a leading role in developing Registered Apprenticeships in healthcare across the nation. Daniel presently serves as a member of the National Advisory Council of the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education at the University of Minnesota, the National Industry Advisory Council of JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning, as well as the Board of Directors for The National Skills Coalition.

Daniel has extensive experience working with healthcare industry partners and the public workforce system, coordinating a variety of federal and state grants designed to provide upskilling and on-the-job training opportunities for healthcare workers. 

Rebecca Malberg von Loewenfeldt is Associate Director of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP). Prior to coming to H-CAP, Rebecca was the Director of Workforce and Long Term Care Integration at Harbage Consulting.

During her tenure there, she supported the Workforce Committee at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they implemented the state’s DSRIP program. She also co-authored a report submitted to the California Legislature to identify ways that California can extend the apprenticeship model to the healthcare industry.

Prior to Harbage Consulting, she was the Home Care Division Director and Executive Committee member at SEIU United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) where she led the union’s home care division and chaired the union’s health benefit trust fund. Rebecca has spent more than 15 years leading major political, legislative, and organizing campaigns in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California for SEIU and various non-profits. Rebecca holds a certification from the Project Management Institute and a BA from the University of Michigan.

Terri Harkin joined H-CAP in March 2019 as a Senior Program Manager based in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to joining H-CAP, Terri served as Vice President and Home Care Division Director of SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana/Missouri/Kansas (SEIU HCIIMK). 

Terri Harkin joined H-CAP in March 2019 as a Senior Program Manager based in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to joining H-CAP, Terri served as Vice President and Home Care Division Director of SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana/Missouri/Kansas (SEIU HCIIMK). At the local union, she led the bargaining, legislative and policy strategy for the union’s 60,000 public and private-sector home care workers and served as Trustee for the Health and Training Benefit Trust Funds. During Terri’s time at SEIU HCIIMK, home care workers established first-time healthcare benefits, built a statewide training program and significantly improved wages and compensation. Terri served as a Governor’s office appointee on the Older Adults Services Advisory Committee and the Community Care Program Advisory Committee, where she worked closely with employers, industry advocates and other stakeholders on efforts to promote job quality and strengthen long term care services for consumers.

Terri has 20 years of experience working in the labor movement with healthcare workers in long term and acute care settings in the Midwest and on the east coast. Her experience includes work in labor-management partnership settings and interest-based negotiations. Terri received a BS from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.

Tamara Martial-Dolcy is the Coordinator for Research and Communications at H-CAP. For close to a decade, Tamara has been committed to social justice issues as they relate to healthcare and labor, with a particular focus on healthcare access, education and advancement of working people.

During her tenure at 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East, Tamara played a key role in bargaining and securing a new contract for 110,000 hospital and nursing home workers. Her research work was instrumental in organizing drives at major health systems, community based organizations and ambulatory facilities.

Tamara previously worked in media where she developed strategic communications and relationships with business partners and clients. She was responsible for writing proposals, development of marketing literature and educating clients regarding new technologies.

Tamara has a BA in English and Journalism from Morgan State University and MA in Media Studies from the New School.

Gina Obando, Program Assistant, comes to H-CAP with an extensive background in the non- profit and corporate sectors. Before joining H-CAP as Program Assistant in 2015, Gina spent 12 years at Lighthouse International, working with the blind and visually impaired as Executive Assistant and Office Coordinator.

In this capacity, she worked on fund raising, community outreach, grant submissions, customer service, and registrar initiatives for the Education Department.

Prior to that Gina worked for  the Bond Market Association, the trade association for the bond markets as Executive Assistant to the President and as liaison to the Board of Directors. Gina’s work experience includes 20 years in Administrative work, Customer Service, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivables, Budget Planning and Event Planning. Gina attended Hunter College and Louis D. Brandeis High School in New York City.

Dea Thomas is a seasoned healthcare professional who possesses more than a decade of experience in healthcare policy, advocacy, and workforce development in corporate and non-profit sectors.

She began her career serving Maryland’s constituency at Capitol Hill on behalf of Maryland’s senior United Sates Senator— finding ways to end healthcare disparities, improving the Children’s Health Insurance Program and advocating for access to quality, affordable health care. While working with 1199SEIU TUF in Maryland, she continued efforts towards affordable healthcare and workforce development by leading the implementation of a $4.6 million Green Grant issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Prior to joining H-CAP, Ms. Thomas championed organizational change and advocated for working families, workplace equity, and patient centered healthcare in one of Baltimore’s anchor healthcare systems.

Ms. Thomas is based in Baltimore and focuses her volunteer efforts within that region.  She currently serves on the Executive Committee of Baltimore’s NAACP Branch, and leads Development and Advocacy efforts for Black Girls Vote, Inc.  She earned her BA in Political Science from Howard University and MS in Health Systems Management from the University of Baltimore.

Jessica Espinoza is a Program Coordinator of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP). During the past decade Jessica has developed her professional experience addressing workplace issues and concerns in unionized settings with a passion for staff development and workforce training initiatives. 

Jessica Espinoza is a Program Coordinator of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP).  During the past decade Jessica has developed her professional experience addressing workplace issues and concerns in unionized settings with a passion for staff development and workforce training initiatives.

Most recently, Jessica served in the role of a Workforce Strategy Consultant with the SEIU 1199NE Training Fund and the partnership between Women & Infants Hospital, a member of Care New England, and SEIU 1199NE.  Within this capacity Ms. Espinoza was facilitated Joint Labor-Management training initiatives and assessed data analytics to demonstrate a return on investment of workforce investment strategies implemented.  In addition, her background includes union organizing across a variety of industries including working with SEIU 1199NW in Seattle and 1199NE in Connecticut within private acute care hospital systems and state sector healthcare.   

Ms. Espinoza is currently based in the Chicagoland area and continues to pursue her interests in labor and leadership education and development.  She earned her BA from Portland State University with a dual major in International Studies focusing on Latin America and Political Science with a minor in Sociology.  She is currently pursuing a MS in Labor Studies from UMASS Amherst.