Samantha Kunze Garcia ARNP has a doctorate of nursing practice, a certificate in lactation education, and a background in environmental health and nutrition. She has over 8 years of experience in pediatric nursing, and in 2021 she started seeing patients as a pediatric nurse practitioner, providing primary care to children from newborns to adolescents. Her mission is to optimize the health and well-being of children and their families. 

Samy uses evidence-based, integrative, and collaborative approaches to address the unique needs and preferences of each child and family. She has experience in managing common pediatric conditions, such as feeding difficulties, asthma, sleep disorders, mental health disorders, constipation, and infectious diseases. 

Samy’s path to nursing and caring for little ones was an unusual one. She was born and raised in Santiago, Chile (Samy tambien habla español!). As a teenager, she wanted to advocate and care for the ones that couldn't – children or plants – and she initially opted for plants, since they are quieter than kids. She went to college in Chile, where she fell in love with trees and their amazing physiology. At the end of her first year, she took a wild 180 degree turn. She learned about whitewater kayaking during a backpacking trip at the Siete Tazas National Park, where after learning to maneuver a kayak, she decided to take a break from college and become a whitewater kayak instructor. She traveled all over South America and the Southeastern USA, but Patagonia was her home for about 6 years.  

In 2007, Samy returned to school to study massage therapy in Asheville, NC. She then continued her education at Western Carolina University and received a B.S. in Environmental Health, where she did research on the ecology of mosquito transmitted diseases. She continued doing mosquito work with the Washington Department of Health in Olympia. Even though she loved studying infectious diseases, she missed helping people directly, so she switched directions again and started her journey towards nursing. She worked as a dialysis technician and a community health promoter for a few years. 

In 2016, she received her BS in nursing from the University of Washington, and in 2021 received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice. She worked at Seattle Children's Hospital for about 5 years before transferring to Odessa Brown Clinic to work as a nurse practitioner. She most recently built a pediatric practice at Rainier Valley Midwives, and is excited to now get to know families at Intergalactic Pediatrics!

In her spare time, Samy enjoys spending time with her 2yr daughter and husband. Together, they love to go on hikes, bake muffins, and work in the garden.