Meghan McClain Garcia, APRN, FNP-C, MPH, AAHIVS

Meghan McClain Garcia APRN, FNP-C, MPH is a Family Nurse Practitioner and board certified HIV specialist. Her expertise includes HIV care, gender-affirming care, healthcare for the homeless, substance use disorders, viral hepatitis, social determinants of health, and diabetes management.

Clinical Practice and Interests

In addition to teaching at YSN, she currently works at Hartford Healthcare as part of their Neighborhood Health Team where her practice centers on street medicine, healthcare for the homeless, and providing care to underserved groups in downtown Hartford and other regions of the state of Connecticut.

She served as a preceptor for the FNP and Adult Gerontology residency programs at the Community Health Center, Inc and currently serves as a clinical preceptor for Yale School of Nursing. Outside of work she was a longstanding board member for GRACE Cares, Inc, an international NGO. One of her greatest achievements was the establishment of a community health worker program in the Dominican Republic that has trained women community leaders for over a decade. When she is not working, Meghan enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, running, playing soccer, reading, and gardening.

Education

Meghan obtained her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies as well as her Masters of Public Health in epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2012 and 2013, respectively. She then attended the Yale School of Nursing, graduating with her Masters of Nursing as a Family Nurse Practioner (FNP) with a concentration in diabetes management in 2017. Completing the Community Health Center, Inc (CHCI) FNP residency in 2018, she then went on to complete their Fellowship in Key Populations in 2019 and worked in primary care until 2023, then transitioning to the Neighborhood Health team.

Publications

Haddad MS, Bifulco L, McIntosh J, McClain Garcia M. Rectal Specimen Self-Collection for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening: A Cross-Sectional Feasibility Study at a Community Health Center. Pilot and Feasibility Studies. November 15, 2021;7(208). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-021-00928-7

Kurth AE, Sidle JE, Chhun N, Lizcano JA, Macharia SM, Garcia MM, Mwangi A, Keter A, Siika AM. Computer-Based Counseling Program (Care+ Kenya) to Promote Prevention and HIV Health for People Living With HIV/AIDS: A Randomized Controlled Trial. AIDS Educ Prev. 2019 Oct;31(5):395-406. doi:1521/aeap.2019.31 .5.395. PMID:31550197;PMCID: PMC6764770.

Presentations

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs:

January 24,2022 Co-presenter of “Improving Digital Health Literacy among Hispanic/Latino Populations” CHCI’s Weitzman Insitute:
May 2020 presentations for the Weitzman Social Determinants of Health Series titled “Using Data to Identify and Measure Health Outcomes” and “Social Determinaants of Health and Intersectionality”
2019 presentation on the Center for Key Populations and the Intergrated Care Model National Ryan White and National Ryan White Clinical Conferences August 2020:
- Poster: Help End the HIV Epidemic by Building a Sustainable Fellowship Opportunity.
- Oral Presentations: Ending the HIV Epidemic by Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Providers and Innovations in STI Screening and Treatment at an FQHC