 | Immediate Past Chair |
As a registered nurse, faculty, and healthcare informatics specialist, Dr. Mary Joy Garcia-Dia had extensive leadership and management experience prior to assuming the role of Chair of Kalusugan Coalition, Inc. Her professional involvement and volunteer work in other non-profit organizations (PNA-NY, Inc., PNAA) where she held leadership roles as local chapter President, National Secretary, and Chair of Human Rights Committee, have kept her attuned to the healthcare and socio-economic concerns of Filipino-Americans in the community.
Mary Joy is a graduate of St. La Salle University (BS Nursing – graduated Cum Laude), New York University (MA in Nursing Informatics, Distinguished Graduate Award), and Case Western Reserve University (Doctorate in Nursing Practice – Director’s Award: Outstanding DNP Graduate). Her research interest is focused on global health particularly the use of mobile technology and resilience and structural empowerment. She had received numerous awards and citations from her Alumni School as an Outstanding Alumni Graduate in Nursing as well as recognition from the community on her collaborative work in facilitating the dismissal of the criminal case against the Avalon 12 Nurses + Lawyer through partnering with grass-roots organization (NAFCON, NYSNA, ANA, Legal Aid Society). Mary Joy shared the nurses’ story at the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development in Athens, Greece as part of the Sentosa 27++ Campaign in addressing unethical recruitment of foreign-educated nurses.
Currently, Dr. Garcia-Dia is the Program Director, Nursing Informatics, Center for Professional Nursing Practice at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and an adjunct faculty teaching informatics courses at New York University Graduate Program. Mary Joy enjoys practicing yoga and mindfulness and hopes to impart healthy living and healthy eating through the community programs that Kalusugan Coalition is facilitating in partnership with NYU-CSAAH in addressing Filipino-Americans’ cardiovascular health.