Our mission
Shared knowledge.
Stronger care.
Lifeline Beyond Borders connects nurses across healthcare systems, beginning with Japan and the United States. We explore why practices differ, learn from each other’s strengths, and consider what can be adapted to each clinical setting. Longer term, LBB hopes to extend mutual exchange across Asia.
Our goal is to advance nursing together: building clinical judgment, professional confidence, and the ability to advocate for patients. Every participant brings experience and perspectives that enrich the exchange.
Meet the people behind LBB
Learning from each other’s strengths
LBB brings different healthcare perspectives into conversation. Japan’s emphasis on attentive, patient-centered care, safety, and teamwork is part of that exchange. By exploring differences in education, nursing responsibilities, and clinical decision-making, participants can identify ideas that respect their own culture, scope of practice, and healthcare environment.
The people behind LBB
You Sato
Founder, Lifeline Beyond Borders · BSN, RN
You is the founder of Lifeline Beyond Borders (LBB) and a registered nurse in the Emergency Medicine & Trauma Center at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. A 2023 nursing graduate of Keio University, You brings experience in healthcare settings in Japan and the United States to pediatric emergency and trauma care.
Through LBB, You designed and led a one-week international nursing experience for Japanese nurses and nursing students, coordinating clinical observation, emergency care scenarios, case discussions, and mentorship. The program connects clinical reasoning and professional confidence with learning across cultures.
A 2022 fellow of an international disaster nursing program, You has shared insights at the Global Nurse Summit, Keio University, and the U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference. In 2026, she received Children’s National’s Division of Nursing Spotlight recognition for clinical care and international nursing mentorship. She uses English, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese to connect nurses across cultures, support mutual learning, and help LBB grow as an international nursing community.
Kelly Williams
Co-founder, LBB · Professional Practice Specialist · Emergency nurse & educator
Kelly Williams has been a registered nurse since 2013, with experience in emergency departments and trauma centers since 2014. She is the Professional Practice Specialist for the Emergency Medicine Trauma Center at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and also practices as a clinical nurse at a freestanding emergency department in Queenstown, Maryland.
Kelly serves as a lead facilitator and educator for global health programs that bring pediatric emergency care and disaster preparedness and response education to nursing students and practicing nurses in Japan, Sudan, and Ethiopia. She has presented at conferences on pediatric emergency care and employee well-being.
As faculty for the Emergency Nurses Association and the American Heart Association, Kelly supports courses offered by both organizations. Her passion is nursing education and mentoring new graduate nurses in emergency medicine.