Erik Orlando Fernandez y Garcia, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics
Academic Coach, School of Medicine
Clinical Champion to Reduce Disparities, Population Health UC Davis Health
Erik Orlando Fernandez y Garcia is not currently accepting new patients. For assistance finding a UC Davis doctor, please call 800-2-UCDAVIS (800-282-3284).
Locations and Contact
Philosophy of Care
It is Dr. Fernandez y Garcia’s goal to address pediatric healthcare and health maintenance through the lens of family dynamics and Cultural Humility. He strives to form cooperative relationships with the parents of patients and their communities to ensure that his patient (the child) reaches his or her fullest potential.
He hopes to propagate this philosophy by teaching UC Davis pediatric residents at the General Pediatric Clinic and with our partners the Sacramento Native American Health Center and the Sacramento County Health Center. He also teaches UC Davis medical students in the "Transforming Education and Community Health for Medical Students" (TEACH-MS) program as an Academic Coach. He assists UC Davis Health in meeting its mission to maintain health equity as a Clinical Champion to Reduce Disparities in Population Health.
He also brings this philosophy of care to his research in pediatric-based intergenerational behavioral and mental healthcare.
Dr. Fernandez y Garcia is a Sacramento native who has come back to work in his community.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Fernandez y Garcia's clinical interests include pediatric health equity, pediatric asthma, pediatric nutrition, school performance, pediatric sports medicine, and intergenerational behavioral and mental health.
Research/Academic Interests
Dr. Fernandez y Garcia's research interests focus on developing pediatric setting-based interventions to improve parenting and pediatric behavioral and mental health; healthcare inequities rooted in social constructs such as socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity; and Cultural Humility-based education for medical students and resident physicians.
Dr. Fernandez y Garcia is also an Academic Coach for the School of Medicine. You can read more here: https://health.ucdavis.edu/mdprogram/Academic-Coaching/overview.html
Division
General Pediatrics
Center/Program Affiliation
Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
UC Davis Children's Hospital
UC Davis Medical Group
Undergraduate School
B.S., Biology/Spanish, St. Mary's College of California, Moraga CA 1995
Medical School
M.D., UCLA/Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles CA 1999
Other School
M.P.A., Health Services and Public Policy, UCLA, Los Angeles CA 2000
Internship
Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland CA 2000-2001
Residency
Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland CA 2001-2003
Fellowship
Multicultural Pediatric Health, Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland CA 2003-2004
Recognition for Leadership on the Council of Medial Societies, National Hispanic Medical Society, 2013
Ambassador of Diversity-UC Davis Health System/School of Medicine, 2007
Faculty Teaching Award - UC Davis Pediatric Residency Program, 2006
Dr. Charles R. Drew Award - Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science’s highest award for exemplary combination of compassion and academic excellence over all years of training, 1999
Primary Care Research Award, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1999
Visit Pubmed for articles by Dr. Fernandez y Garcia:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Fernandez+y+Garcia+E&cauthor_id=17546451
Keeton VF, Bell JF, Gottlieb LM, Drake C, Pantell M, Hessler D, Wing H, Fernandez Y Garcia EO. Social Needs and Acculturation as Predictors of Emotional Problems and Perceived Stress Among Latinx Mothers with Low Income. J Immigr Minor Health. 2022 Nov 24:1–10. doi:10.1007/s10903-022-01430-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID:36422792.
Hawk BN, Timmer SG, Armendariz LAF, Boys DK, Urquiza AJ, Fernández Y Garcia E. Improving Children's Behavior in Seven Sessions: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Parent-Child Care (PC-CARE) for Children Aged 2-10 Years. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2022 Aug 11:1–14. doi:10.1007/s10578-022-01406-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID:35951209.
Fernandez y Garcia E. California Task Force on Maternal Mental Health.* A Report from the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care: a catalyst for shifting statewide systems to improve care across California and beyond. 2017 Apr. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d5ca187da24ffed7378b40/t/5b40f84503ce641f98dbd329/1530984521889/Report-CATaskForce-7.18.pdf
Fernandez y Garcia E, Joseph J, Wilson MD, Hinton L, Simon G, Ludman E, Scott F, Kravitz RL. Pediatric-based intervention to motivate mothers to seek follow-up for depression screens: The Motivating Our Mothers (MOM) trial. Acad Pediatr. 2015 May-Jun;15(3):311-8. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2014.11.008. PMID:25906700.
Fernandez y Garcia E, Breslau J, Hansen R, Miller EM. Unintended Consequences: An Ethnographic Narrative Case-Series Exploring Language Recommendations for Bilingual Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Med Speech Language Pathol. 2012 Jun;20(2):10-16.