Kumari Regmi
Kumari Regmi
Delegate for Upstate New York
Resettled Refugee from Bhutan
Kumari Regmi is the Refugee Congress Delegate for Upstate New York. She is a resettled refugee from Bhutan who came to the U.S. in 2009.
Kumari and her family were forcefully evicted from her birthplace when she was six years old. She spent the next 17 years in a refugee camp in Nepal. Life in the refugee camp was extremely challenging, as there was a limited supply of food, poor sanitary conditions, and no proper health care.
Today, Kumari works as a nurse practitioner for OPTUM/United Healthcare and as an adjunct professor at SUNY POLY, Utica. She has dedicated her life to producing change, ending racism, and promoting equality in healthcare.
As a fellow refugee, Kumari works closely with other refugees trying to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care. She has organized health fairs, breast cancer/skin cancer awareness events, blood drives, voting awareness activities, DNR/DNI, disease prevention, and health promotion events. Last year she and her husband hosted a health fair in collaboration with Upstate and Catholic Charities with the goal of educating people about the importance of primary care as a preventative measure, increasing health awareness, performing health screenings, and sharing information about the resources available within the community. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Thea Bowman House, which advocates for low income, at-risk children, and families in an attempt to break the cycle of poverty.
The American Red Cross has recognized Kumari’s work by awarding her the 2017 The American Red Cross Real Hero Award. She was also the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for student excellency, Star Student for On Point, and Ellen P. Coher Award for Academic Excellence in Healthcare. She recently received excellence in healthcare, outstanding rising star award from Biz Events in Syracuse, New York.
Kumari and her husband, Bikash, established a scholarship program for a high school student or college student who plans to go into the medical field. They believe this scholarship will help individuals become good citizens and provide compassionate care to the patient.
She lives with her husband, two daughters, and a son. In her free time, Kumari enjoys gardening, cooking, reading books, and writing stories and poems.
“Refugee resettlement gives refugees safety and stops the risk of a dangerous life. It will give them hope of a new life in a new country.”
In the News:
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