Meet Sabina Khan, PhD, OTD, MS, OTR/L, Assistant Professor of OT programs at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) Miami. Dr. Khan is a globally recognized women’s health specialist and scholar passionate about public education and community building.
Her journey into health equity advocacy didn’t begin through research or in a university classroom—it originated with her path to motherhood. After facing complications in two of her three pregnancies, including lingering tailbone pain and sciatica, she faced first-hand the gaps that exist in postpartum care.
Dr. Khan explains, “Fortunately, I had a strong support system. However, I kept thinking—what about the women who don’t?” That personal experience sparked a professional mission.
Today, Dr. Khan is a certified pelvic floor rehabilitation specialist and a respected professor of health sciences. She’s made it her life’s work to empower marginalized women, especially during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives: the postpartum period.
Bridging the gaps in maternal health
In the United States, maternal mortality rates are the highest among developed nations—and many of these deaths occur within the first six weeks postpartum. Yet, as Dr. Khan points out, “Women don’t usually have a wellness check until six weeks after giving birth. That’s a missed opportunity for prevention.”
She believes early intervention through rehabilitation—occupational and physical therapy—could catch subtle warning signs that standard vital checks may miss. “For example,” she describes, “hypertensive disorders might not show up when a woman is at rest but can spike with activity. That’s something rehab professionals are trained to observe.”
Dr. Khan is a champion for women’s health. She has launched initiatives to increase access to such evaluations, especially for women of color and those in underserved communities. “If women were getting rehab evaluations after childbirth, we could enhance maternal health and reduce preventable deaths,” she says.
Empowering young mothers through holistic care
Her efforts extend beyond clinical care. Dr. Khan works closely with teenage mothers, particularly those from minority backgrounds, integrating occupational therapy (OT) into their lives in a way that addresses not only physical but also social and emotional needs.
“With OT, we’re helping young women find peer support, navigate relationships with the baby’s father and their parents and set academic goals,” she explains. One of her proudest moments involved a student who received a scholarship to Palm Beach College after working with Dr. Khan’s team.
“These things can lessen the stress they’re going through and help them reach their goals,” she says. To reach more young women, she’s currently piloting telehealth programs to expand access to care.
Teaching future healthcare leaders
Dr. Khan’s drive to make a difference led her to academia, where she’s shaping the next generation of compassionate occupational therapists (OTs).
Dr. Khan wanted to become a professor to prepare students to address the intersection of advocacy and healthcare in a human-centered way. “By introducing concepts like occupational injustice—how systemic factors limit individuals’ ability to engage in meaningful activities—I want students to think deeper,” she says.
She hopes that her classes are a space for future healthcare practitioners to address the challenges faced by vulnerable populations, such as pregnant and postpartum women of color, who often face systemic barriers and inequities in care.
She integrates real-life case studies into her classes, encouraging students to explore systemic inequities and brainstorm innovative interventions. “We talk about what advocacy looks like—not just for the client, but for the community and society.”
In her classroom, students are challenged to analyze issues like inaccessibility to care and the cultural dynamics that influence health outcomes. She explains, “I want them to ask: What is issue number one? How can we bridge the gap using the tools we have—like technology, communication and interdisciplinary collaboration?”
Navigating power dynamics in healthcare
Understanding hierarchy in healthcare is another cornerstone of Dr. Khan’s teaching. “Students often go into rehab thinking the doctor is always right,” she says. “As OTs, we’re trained to listen to our clients. Sometimes the physician’s referral doesn’t align with what the client needs at that moment.”
She uses scenarios to help students build confidence and respectfully voice their clinical judgment. “It’s our job to advocate for the client, to recommend what is right and ethical—especially when they can’t advocate for themselves.”
Creating real-world impact
Dr. Khan’s impact isn’t confined to the classroom. Her students have published research, contributed to award-winning projects and applied their lessons in practical settings—from advocating for nonverbal clients in assisted living to using motivational interviewing with clients who’ve lost faith in therapy.
One of her student teams even made the cover of the January 2025 issue of OT Practice magazine with their wellness and health outcomes research.
She also contributes to groundbreaking resources. Her new textbook, Occupational Therapy and Women’s Health: A Practitioner Guide, launched this spring. It aims to equip students and practitioners with tools to better understand and treat women’s health issues with cultural humility.
A vision for the future of healthcare education
Dr. Khan believes programs must continue to evolve to better serve diverse populations. “We need more culturally responsive education embedded into the curriculum,” she says. “Not just a diverse workforce, but also a variety of case studies—students should be exposed to how people from different backgrounds experience healthcare.”
She recently received the 2025 Vince Hutchins Leadership Award at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Annual Conference. She is the first occupational therapist to be honored with the award, celebrating her dedication to equity in maternal health.
Dr. Khan’s commitment is clear: “Our role as healthcare professionals is to be the voice for those who aren’t at the table. Through education, research and advocacy, we can build a system where every woman—regardless of background—can access the care she deserves.”
Follow Dr. Khan’s innovative work at drsabinakhan.com.
