Title:Nursing alumnus navigates federal career

Drawn to Georgetown for its stellar nursing school, Andrew Yu (NHS’11) has applied what he learned here to a career that has taken him from bedside care to public health work for the Indian Health Service.

Yu navigated the early days of nursing school with help from his mentor, Dina Rosenthal, and came to appreciate the different avenues of nursing. He also found time to perform with Georgetown’s Chamber Music Ensemble in the Department of Performing Arts.

“I’ve been playing piano all my life, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to perform between my classes and clinical hours at the hospital,” says Yu. “I’m glad I was able to strike a balance. Performing helped my mental health.”

At hospitals throughout his career, Yu has been a staff nurse, providing direct bedside care, and gained experience in medical/surgical nursing, obstetrics, and even working on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.

Yu completed his Master of Science in community and public health nursing at Hunter College–CUNY and is currently obtaining his Doctor in Nursing Practice at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He works for the Indian Health Service, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, as a public health advisor and national HIV/HCV/STI clinical coordinator.

“I found my passion in infectious disease, specifically taking care of people living with HIV and viral hepatitis, as well as STIs—and I transitioned from direct patient care to the public health world,” says Yu. “Although we’ve made advancements for HIV biomedically, there are still so many people left behind due to stigma and the inability to access care. My passion is rooted in advocacy, health equity, and the belief that we can end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. within our generation.”

Most of Yu’s clients are located on rural and remote reservations across the U.S., which he visits to provide guidance to clinicians on the latest testing and treatment guidelines. He also awards and oversees grants.

“Providing holistic care, a value I learned at Georgetown, truly resonates with my work in public service,” says Yu. “I believe that a disease doesn’t define who someone is. That was instilled in me very early on during my Georgetown education.”

He adds, “I always describe my time at Georgetown as being filled with joy but hard work. I was pushed to strive for excellence, which I appreciate more looking back now. Work ethic and leadership are two skills inherent to my Georgetown education and it has paid dividends both academically and professionally.”