Cristina Fernandez MD
Professor, School of Medicine, University of Missouri - Kansas City; Physician, Center for Children's Health Lifestyles and Nutrition, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
Dr. Cristina Fernandez is a general pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Kansas City’s Weight Management Clinic with 25 years of clinical experience. She treats obesity as a chronic disease and focuses on genetics, co‑occurring eating disorders, and care for children with special needs and hyperphagia. A dedicated educator, she mentors residents and students and leads diversity and quality‑improvement initiatives. Dr. Fernandez is a professor, member of a Medicine Honor Society, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and active in OMA, The Obesity Society, POWER, and COMPASS. She directs Weight Management Education and QI projects at CMH and contributes to statewide best‑practice training through Missouri’s Show‑Me ECHO, strengthening networks with providers, especially in rural areas. Her QI work improves communication, promotes behavior change, reduces no‑show rates, and advances eating‑disorder evaluation in weight clinics. She authored an ABP MOC‑4 program on obesity as a chronic disease and has related publications.
Email: cfernandez@cmh.edu