Dr. M. Kay Garcia conducted her first study evaluating the use of acupressure for test-taking anxiety among senior level nursing students in 1981. Although opportunities to study Chinese medicine were limited in the United States at that time, the study revealed compelling results and Dr. Garcia continued her interest in the use of this ancient practice throughout the 1980's. In 1993, she earned a doctorate in public health and focused her research interests on ergonomics in healthcare settings. In 1999, she continued her formal training in Chinese medicine and has treated patients in both China and the US. In 2002, she completed clinical internships at Zhejiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hangzhou, Peoples' Republic of China and at the First Teaching Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, Peoples' Republic of China. In October 2004, she also had the opportunity to study auricular acupuncture with Colonel Richard Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland and the US Pentagon. She has been named in Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in American Nursing. Her combined academic and clinical experience in Chinese medicine and public health make her uniquely qualified in this constantly expanding field.

Articles

Garcia MK, Skibber JM, Rodriguez-Bigas MA, Chang DZ, Feig BW, Bisanz AK, Palmer JL, Cohen L,  Chiang JS,  Acupuncture to prevent prolonged postoperative ileus:  a randomized clinical trial.  Medical Acupuncture (accepted, 10/07).

Zhou Y, Garcia  MK, Chang  DZ,  Chiang JS, Lu  J, Yi Q,  Romaguera  J, Delasalle  K,   Guo Y, Forman A, Fang W, Wang M.  Multiple Myeloma, Painful Neuropathy, Acupuncture?  American Journal of Clinical Oncology (accepted, 11/07).

Tan G, Craine, MH, Bair, M, Garcia, MK, et al., Efficacy of selected complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for chronic pain.  JRRD 2007; 44(2), 195.

Book Chapters

Garcia, M.K., and Akkerman, R.  Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.  In Giordano (ed.).  Chronic pain: A complementary and integrative medical approach.  Boston:  Jones and Bartlett. (in print)

Giordano J, Engebretson J, Garcia MK.  Challenges to complementary and alternative medical research.  In Giordano (ed.).  Chronic pain: A complementary and integrative medical approach.  Boston:  Jones and Bartlett. (in print)

Sierpina V, Garcia MK, Yeh G.  (2007).  Qi gong in cardiovascular disease.  In Vogel JHK & Krucoff MW (ed.)  Integrative Cardiology.  New York:  McGraw-Hill.

Garcia, M.K., and Chiang, J. (2007). Acupuncture.  In Waldman (ed.)  Comprehensive Pain Management.   Philadelphia, PA:  Elsevier Science.

China Med College Hospital