This blog highlights Sharon’s lived experiences navigating a healthcare system where bias and dismissal too often prevent multicultural women from being heard, alongside the moments when compassionate, patient-centered care made a meaningful difference. It explores how racism and institutional bias show up in everyday medical encounters, the emotional toll of having to self-advocate or advocate for loved ones, and the importance of clinicians who truly listen. In this piece, summer intern Yasmeena Jones sat down with Sharon to center her voice as an Expert by Experience and to underscore the need for more humane, equitable healthcare.

Summer intern Yasmeena shares how her background in psychology and sociology shaped her interest in patient-centered care. She discusses the role of listening, trust, and lived experience in advancing inclusivity in healthcare.