Leda Garside is a bilingual/bicultural Latina professional with 42 years of working experience. Her career interests center around nursing education, research, health policy, cultural competencies, health promotion, early interventions, best practices in language interpretation services, community health workers’ initiatives, and health careers mentoring.

Being an active member in professional organizations, coalitions and boards is a way to give back to the community and provide a voice on how to work towards eliminating disparities, how services are delivered and assuring best services are experienced for the patient.

After 10 years of bedside nursing in neurology and cardiology, her nursing career led her to occupational health, outpatient care, and management. Her lived experiences as a clinician during the last 32 years have centered on minority health, working with the Latine/a/x and Mesoamerican indigenous communities and other BIPOC populations.  This has provided her with a solid foundation for understanding and connecting to the various communities that make up Oregon.

Leda is an excellent resource to ensure that, no matter the project, the work will be grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion. Leda has recently retired from direct patient care, but continues her work as an advocate and nurse consultant.