Shiliu Wang: A Trailblazing Family Nurse Practitioner Committed to Social Justice in Healthcare
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, certain professionals stand out not only for their clinical expertise but also for their dedication to equity, justice, and community empowerment. One such individual is Shiliu Wang, a Family Nurse Practitioner based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. With a career that bridges medicine, activism, and education, Wang exemplifies how healthcare providers can work beyond traditional clinical boundaries to address systemic issues that affect people’s health and dignity.
This article explores the inspiring journey of Shiliu Wang, her educational background, professional experience, activism, and the unique approach she brings to the medical field.
Early Life and Educational Background
Cornell University: Building a Strong Foundation
Before stepping into advanced nursing, Shiliu Wang pursued her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, Health, and Society in 2013. Her time at Cornell was marked not only by academic achievement but also by active involvement in campus life, including participation on the Student Advisory Board at the Women’s Resource Center. This early combination of science and advocacy would later define her holistic approach to healthcare.
Yale School of Nursing: A Path to Nursing Leadership
Wang advanced her education at the Yale School of Nursing, obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) between 2020 and 2023. At Yale, she refined her clinical expertise while deepening her focus on adolescent medicine, sexual and reproductive healthcare, HIV treatment and management, and LGBTQ health.
Her years at Yale coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she served as a frontline nurse, supporting the community in navigating the unprecedented crisis. This period revealed her resilience and commitment to compassionate, evidence-based care.
Honors and Awards
Wang’s academic journey has been recognized with significant accolades, including the STRIDE Scholarship (2011). This competitive award offered a financial scholarship alongside a paid research position, emphasizing her scholarly promise and dedication from the start of her academic career.
Professional Experience
Fenway Health: Advancing Inclusive Care in Boston
Since September 2023, Shiliu Wang has served as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Fenway Health, a Boston-based healthcare organization renowned for its commitment to LGBTQ health, HIV treatment, and culturally competent care. Fenway Health’s mission aligns seamlessly with Wang’s philosophy: providing care rooted in equity, compassion, and social justice.
At Fenway Health, she is part of a team that ensures patients feel respected, understood, and supported, especially those from historically marginalized communities.
Yale Health Center: Responding to the Pandemic
Before joining Fenway, Wang worked at the Yale Health Center from 2021 to 2023 in multiple capacities. As a Campus COVID-19 Resource RN, she guided students, faculty, and staff through rapidly changing public health guidelines, symptom management, and vaccination processes. She also served as a COVID-19 Vaccine RN, delivering both flu and COVID vaccines to thousands of community members.
Her role at Yale reflected her adaptability and dedication during a time of crisis, reinforcing her identity as a provider deeply invested in community wellbeing.
Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
In 2020, Wang contributed to public health beyond clinical work as a Census Organizer with the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). She worked to ensure immigrant and refugee communities were counted and represented, recognizing that access to healthcare and resources often begins with being visible in government data.
Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)
From 2016 to 2020, Wang served as a Board Member at the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) in Boston. There, she helped oversee the organization’s budget, guided strategic planning, and supported campaigns that addressed racial justice and community empowerment. Her leadership contributed to successful fundraising, rebranding efforts, and new member engagement strategies.
Health Care For All
As a Health Justice Organizer at Health Care For All, Wang’s advocacy centered around building equitable healthcare systems. She worked on campaigns to amplify the voices of marginalized groups, pushing for policy and structural changes to make healthcare accessible for everyone.
Additional Roles in Healthcare and Advocacy
Her career journey also includes time as a Relationship Manager at Health Leads, where she collaborated with healthcare partners to design interventions addressing social determinants of health, and earlier positions in consulting at Intuit and Oracle, where she honed organizational and problem-solving skills before pivoting fully into healthcare.
Activism and Philosophy of Care
Anti-Racist and Social Justice Framework
What sets Shiliu Wang apart is not just her medical training but her philosophical commitment to anti-racist, justice-centered healthcare. She believes that true healing requires dismantling systemic barriers like racism and capitalism, which she identifies as root causes of widespread illness.
Her approach challenges traditional binaries—such as healthy/unhealthy or normal/abnormal—encouraging patients and communities to think critically about the structures that define their health experiences.
Education as a Tool for Change
Wang also emphasizes popular and political education as key tools for transformation. She seeks to engage communities in questioning the knowledge they receive, empowering them to challenge oppressive systems and embrace holistic views of health.
Her vision of care goes beyond treating symptoms. It involves organizing, activism, and advocacy to address the deeper, structural reasons why communities suffer from health disparities.
Legacy and Impact
Through her work at Fenway Health, past contributions at Yale Health Center, and activism with organizations like MIRA, AARW, and Health Care For All, Shiliu Wang demonstrates the profound impact a single healthcare provider can have on both individuals and systems.
She is part of a new wave of nurse practitioners and healthcare leaders who recognize that medicine is inseparable from social justice. By blending clinical excellence, community engagement, and activism, Wang is building a healthcare model that respects human dignity and challenges the inequities of our current systems.
Conclusion
Shiliu Wang represents the future of healthcare: a provider who combines clinical skills with activism, education, and justice-centered values. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, and grounded in her training from Yale School of Nursing and Cornell University, she has already made an indelible mark on both patients and communities.
Her story is one of resilience, leadership, and vision—proving that healthcare can be a powerful tool for healing not just bodies, but societies themselves.
