Youshmanie Sehmbi works in Middletown, Connecticut as a Quality Supervisor at Bristol Health. As a first-generation Indo-Caribbean woman, Youshmanie’s connection to the communities served is deeply personal, shaped by lived experiences of intersectional barriers to healthcare access. Understanding the fear and hesitance that often come with seeking care, Youshmanie is driven to create healthcare spaces where people from overlooked and under-resourced communities feel truly seen, heard, and valued.

In Youshmanie’s current role, two initiatives stand out: leading the completion of the organization’s Health Equity Roadmap and advancing value-based care initiatives designed to improve outcomes and equity. Previously, Youshmanie proudly developed an early-stage prototype for a wearable breast health screening tool as part of a graduate capstone project in translational research.

Youshmanie’s commitment to health equity and social justice is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves quality care regardless of their background or circumstances. Dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers and transforming care delivery, she strives to ensure that every person, especially those historically marginalized or overlooked, receives respectful, equitable, and compassionate treatment. Leadership, to Youshmanie, means embracing courage and hope, as captured beautifully by Amanda Gorman in “The Hill We Climb”: “There is always light—if only we’re brave enough to see it and to be it.”