Board Members

Meet Our Board Members

Our board members bring decades of experience in healthcare, community service, and education — united by a shared commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of New York City's underserved communities.

Dr. Sumir Sahgal

Chairman of the Board

New York Research Education and Community Health (NYREACH)

Dr. Sumir Sahgal serves as Chairman of the Board of New York Research Education and Community Health (NYREACH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying health disparities and advancing practical, community-based solutions that improve quality of life in underserved neighborhoods across New York City.

Founded in 2015, NYREACH was created to provide a platform for community health research, education, and workforce development. Under Dr. Sahgal’s leadership as Chairman, the organization has focused on building meaningful partnerships with healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and academic institutions to address persistent gaps in access, prevention, and care delivery.

As an international medical graduate himself, Dr. Sahgal brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges many internationally trained physicians face when navigating a path to practice in the United States. One of NYREACH’s key areas of focus is creating clearer, more supportive pathways for IMGs to integrate into the U.S. healthcare system. Through mentorship, workforce development initiatives, and structured programming, the organization aims to unlock the potential of highly trained physicians who are often underutilized.

At the same time, Dr. Sahgal is committed to strengthening the healthcare workforce in the Bronx—an area that historically struggles to attract and retain providers. NYREACH works to connect mission-driven clinicians with opportunities to serve communities that need them most, helping shift the perception of where meaningful medical careers can thrive.

In addition to his role at NYREACH, Dr. Sahgal is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Essen Health Care, a multi-specialty medical group serving the Bronx and surrounding communities.

Diane Cooper

R.N., M.Ed., GNP, AGCM — Founder & Executive Director

Caregivers Outreach Inc.

Ms. Diane Leona Cooper is a product of the New York City Public School system. She graduated from Hunter College School of Nursing and holds a master’s degree in nursing education from The College of New Rochelle. She has served as an adjunct professor and mentor at both The College of New Rochelle and the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Her love for older adults and their caregivers inspired her to earn a Postgraduate Certificate in Geriatric Nursing from New York University. She is a member of the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) as an Associate Geriatric Care Manager. Ms. Cooper has 35 years of experience working with family caregivers as a Community Health Nurse.

She is a member of First Corinthian Baptist Church, where Rev. Michael A. Walrond Jr. is the Senior Pastor. She enjoys volunteering her time to serve those in need within the community. She actively participates in the Bronx Clergy Task Force and serves on the executive board of the AARP Peachtree Chapter 4997 Co-op City.

Ms. Cooper is the founder and president of Caregivers Outreach Inc., a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization that has supported and advocated for family caregivers. She developed a keen sense of empathy and compassion, born of her experience as caregiver to her father, Mr. Leon David Simmons. It was through this experience that Caregivers Outreach was founded in 2006 to ensure that family caregivers are educated about navigating the health care system, have access to community resources, and can balance their daily challenges and the demands of caregiving.

Ms. Cooper was a caregiver for her mother and, most recently, a caregiver for her husband, John, a lung transplant recipient, for over fifteen years. In 2015, the organization implemented a Youth Caregivers Initiative Program (SHARKS) — Student Helping and Assisting Relatives with Knowledge and Skills. The program supports and advocates for children as young as eight years of age caring for an ill, disabled parent or sibling, or older adult.

Jitendra Barmecha

Board Member

NYREACH

Full bio coming soon.

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