Our Staff

Meet the dedicated staff of the Asian American Health Initiative:

• Sanjana Quasem, MPH

  Program Manager II

  Sanjana.Quasem@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Sanjana Quasem is the Program Manager II for the Asian American Health Initiative. In this role, she is accountable for the program’s operations, administration, budget, personnel, outcomes, and overall management. She is also responsible for AAHI’s strategic planning and ensuring alignment between AAHI’s work and department-wide and County-wide guiding principles and priorities. Her experience and expertise include development of multicultural health education and outreach programs, leading community capacity building efforts, and engaging systems to address inequities and health disparities. Having lived in Montgomery County for most of her life, Sanjana is passionate about community health and is grateful for the opportunity to serve her local community. Sanjana has a Bachelor of Science in Community Health with a citation in Public Leadership and a Master of Public Health in Behavioral and Community Health, all from the University of Maryland College Park.
  

• Muhammad Hasan, MBBS, MBA

  Program Manager I

  Muhammad.Hasan@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Muhammad Hasan is the Program Manager I for the Asian American Health Initiative. As Program Manager I, he is responsible for program development, program data management and analysis, and contract monitoring. Dr. Hasan is also involved with the overall development of AAHI through strategic planning, research, literature reviews, and liaising. Dr. Hasan has a keen interest in health equity, community outreach and engagement as well as addressing social and behavioral determinants of health. Dr. Hasan has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the Baqai Medical University, and a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. He also has Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics.

• Samikshya Sapkota, MPH

  Outreach & Health Promotion Specialist

  Samikshya.Sapkota@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Samikshya Sapkota (Sami) is the Outreach & Health Promotion Specialist at the Asian American Health Initiative. In this role, Sami takes on the responsibility of coordinating, implementing, and evaluating health promotion, outreach, and community capacity building activities tailored to Montgomery County’s diverse Asian American communities. Sami’s committed to serving the hard-to-reach communities in Montgomery County by building trusting relationships and ensuring resources and services provided are tailored to the cultural and linguistic needs of the community. She is deeply passionate about overcoming barriers to care, particularly in the youth population, elderly population, refugee communities, and international students. Sami is also responsible for leading AAHI’s internship program, where she mentors and introduces interns to the dynamic world of public health. Sami has a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a Master of Public Health in Community Health Promotion from George Mason University. Sami is also a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor.

• Sophia Yoon, LMSW

  Resource Coordinator

  Sophia.Yoon@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Sophia Yoon is the Resource Coordinator for the Asian American Health Initiative. Her main responsibilities include providing information on resources and connecting the Asian American community members with existing health and social services provided by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MCDHHS), hospitals, and public agencies. Sophia is also committed in educating the community on the knowledge and awareness of health issues in the Asian American Community. She received her Bachelor of Social Work from Marywood University and her Master of Social Work from the Catholic University of America. She is a Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW).

• Elsa Lau

  Office Services Coordinator

  Elsa.Lau@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Elsa Lau is the Office Services Coordinator for the Asian American Health Initiative. Her main responsibilities include day-to-day office services, managing and maintaining unit operating records and reports, and arranging and preparing for meetings, conferences, and workshops. She received her Associate’s Degree in Business at Montgomery College.

   

• Tammy Wan

  Health Education and Communications Coordinator

  Tammy.Wan@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Tammy Wan is the Health Education and Communications Coordinator for the Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI). Her responsibilities include providing health education through various media sources, overseeing publications and platforms, in addition to other duties. She strongly believes in equitable access to health resources and is dedicated to reducing these disparities in Montgomery County through community empowerment and engagement. Tammy received her Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Maryland College Park.

• Minshiun (Phoebe ) Shih, LCSW-C

  Senior Wellness Coordinator

  Phoebe.Shih@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Minshiun (Phoebe) Shih is the Senior Wellness Coordinator for the Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI). Her main responsibilities are to assist seniors and their families in improving health, wellness and the quality of life. The Senior Wellness Program Coordinator plays a significant role in the development, coordination, implementation and evaluation of senior programs. Phoebe received her Master of Social Work from St. Louis University in Missouri and is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical Level (LCSW-C) in the State of Maryland.

• Samila Aryal Bhattarai, MPH

  Data and Capacity Building Specialist

  samila.aryalbhattarai@montgomerycountymd.gov

  Samila Aryal Bhattarai is the Planning Specialist II (Data and Capacity Building Specialist) for the Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI). As a Data and Capacity Building Specialist, she serves as an internal data resource for the Asian American Health Initiative and Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to that, she is responsible for overseeing all AAHI’s program evaluations, managing all AAHI’s reporting efforts, and developing a training center for Asian American community organizations. Coming from a Public Health Background, she is committed in addressing health needs of the community through capacity building. Samila received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Nepal Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Nova Southeastern University, Florida.