Donna began her journey with HepatitisWA in 2017 as a volunteer on the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP). It wasn’t long before her passion, leadership, and natural ability to connect with the community led to her appointment as an NSP Officer. That moment marked a turning point — not just in Donna’s career, but for the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people she would go on to support.
For Donna, the NSP was never just about harm reduction supplies. It was about building a bridge. A bridge between her mob and culturally safe conversations about harm reduction, hepatitis C testing, and treatment. A bridge away from shame and stigma. And a bridge toward health, empowerment, and dignity.
Caption: Donna setting up in the NSP
Donna speaks openly and honestly with her community:
“There’s no shame in getting tested and there is no shame in having hep C. Shame is not doing anything about it. It’s too easy to get treatment these days.”
Caption: St Pats Outreach - Breaking down the stigma
Her approach is grounded in compassion and cultural strength. She reduces fear by normalising testing and treatment, and by walking alongside clients every step of the way. Donna doesn’t just refer people to care — she accompanies them. From delivering a positive point-of-care test result, to sitting in appointments with the nurse or doctor, to explaining medication instructions in plain language: “If you miss a tablet, just keep taking them — don’t double up.” She ensures her mob feel supported, informed, and confident.
Caption: During COVID, Donna still ensured that priority populations were able to access harm reduction services
In 2023, when HepatitisWA joined the National Hepatitis C Point-of-Care Testing Program, Donna became one of the trained operators.
This expanded her ability to take testing directly to the community — particularly benefiting clients with poor venous access who may otherwise avoid traditional blood draws. Now, with a simple finger-prick test, Donna can provide results and immediately link clients to treatment. As she tells them, “Its just like a diabetes finger prick test and guess what?? I can give you that result and if needed I can book you in with the doctor. It’s so easy.”
Donna’s impact extends well beyond the NSP site. She delivers hep C education sessions in alcohol and other drug settings, women’s refuges, and homelessness drop-in centres. She attends outreach testing and treatment clinics and now serves as NSP Coordinator and Aboriginal Liaison Officer at HepatitisWA.
Caption: National Hep C PoCT Program Competency Panel time
At a national level, she sits on the Australian Hepatitis C Point-of-Care Testing Program Aboriginal Governance Group to ensure program research and initiatives are culturally safe, community-led, and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She has also contributed to public health projects and campaigns, including the Healthy Blood Healthy Body project through SiRen at Curtin University, and provided advice to WA Health’s Look After Your Blood campaign.
Caption: Viral Hepatitis Conference 2025 Melbourne - “Look after your blood” campaign poster Presentation with SHBBVP - Senior Policy Officer Jude Bevan.
Within the sector, Donna is a force to be reckoned with. Within the community, she is trusted, admired, and deeply respected. Clients connect with the service because they connect with her. She guides the organisation and its clinical services on how to better engage with mob, breaking down barriers and strengthening cultural safety at every level.
Outside of work, Donna’s dedication is just as strong. She is a proud mother of nine children — from her eldest, Ursula (32), to her youngest, Jennette (18) — and a loving grandmother to six grannies’. Passionate about sport, from footy to netball, Donna also now embraces travel — something she once avoided but now does with enthusiasm and confidence.
For nine years, colleagues have worked alongside Donna, witnessing her growth from volunteer to leader. Together, they have achieved extraordinary outcomes for community health. It is an honour to work beside this proud Torres Strait Islander woman whose unwavering commitment to her people goes beyond physical health — she nurtures mental wellbeing, cultural strength, and self-worth.
Caption: Boorloo Bidee Mia POCT outreach clinic
Donna Garcia is more than an NSP Coordinator or POCT operator. She is a bridge-builder. A stigma-breaker. A trusted Aunty. And a true unsung hero in point-of-care testing.