The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations is excited to welcome Yasmine Kayali as one of two 2021 Summer interns. Yasmine is part of a larger internship program through the Kennedy Krieger Rise Up Fellowship program, which paired her with the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. The program pairs college students from across the country with internships that match their field of interest.
Yasmine is from Cleveland Ohio but currently lives in Austin Texas where she attends the University of Texas at Austin. Yasmine is studying Health Society and Government. Her minor is in Business of Healthcare. Yasmine was very interested in the healthcare business program offered at the University of Texas at Austin but also admits the warm weather also played a big part in her higher education choice. After earning her undergrad degrees Yasmine plans to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health in addition to a research degree.
Growing up Yasmine was an avid tennis player and enjoyed reading, which she still does both today. Her father worked in bio medical engineering, which opened the door to a potential healthcare career for Yasmine. When she first began college, she was interested in becoming a nurse and shadowed a nurse practitioner who introduced her to health policy. “After I shadowed her for a while, the nurse practitioner gave me a call and told me she could tell I was more interested in things like policy and law rather nursing and suggested that nursing might not be for me. She then introduced me to healthcare management and policy.” At School when Yasmine is not studying, she is still active in programs that will benefit her future career. Yasmine is part of the Texas Undergraduate Law review. She is also part of the Texas Undergraduate Business Healthcare Association. Yasmine is also a Health Peer Educator on campus.
Like many of today’s college student’s Yasmine had to navigate school during a pandemic. She says one thing that was discovered for many during COVID-19 are the inefficiencies and issues in our nation’s healthcare system. She says this inspires her even more to go into healthcare policy.
Yasmine has worked with the Texas Assisted Living Association while attending college. There she has became familiar with organizations that operate like SDAHO. During her internship with SDAHO, Yasmine will focus on a white paper that will provide recommendations on frailty care and what frailty care could look like in South Dakota. In addition, Yasmine is paying close attention to federal and state news that impacts healthcare and provides weekly articles on those issues to members.
Yasmine says there are many exciting things about her future career path. “I think it’s the most exciting and interesting thing in the whole world. To think that research into health policy could be that first domino in creating change whether that is on the state level or nationally, it is exciting. I am very motivated when it comes to researching healthcare systems and the outcomes from the systems. I love that I can continue to do this because I see it creating change.”
Yasmine admits the motto she lives her life by, she stole but says it is a good one: Onwards and Upwards.
Join us in welcoming Yasmine Kayali to our team this summer!
