Loading Complete
Raquel G. Hernandez

Raquel G. Hernandez, MD, MPH

Pediatrics

Accepting New Patients
Johns Hopkins Affiliations:
  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

Languages

  • Spanish
  • English

20 Insurances Accepted

View all

Gender

Female

About Raquel G. Hernandez

Professional Titles

  • Director, Healthy Weight Initiative
  • Director, Center for Pediatric Health Equity Research

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Background

Dr. Raquel G. Hernandez is an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include general pediatric and adolescent medicine, health disparities, culturally and linguistically appropriate care as well as pediatric obesity.

Dr. Hernandez completed her medical school training, pediatric residency and fellowship in academic general pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. During her fellowship she also earned a master of public health degree with an emphasis on nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

At Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Dr. Hernandez is the director of the Healthy Weight Initiative, a multi-tiered approach including innovative clinical care, research and educational efforts targeting pediatric obesity. In this role, she has been instrumental in advocating for the care of patients with pediatric obesity using evidence-based and culturally appropriate services.

Her research currently focuses on health disparities among vulnerable populations with a focus on pediatric obesity. She has identified factors that enhance obesity prevention and treatment efforts within the pediatric primary care setting, with a focus on the role of parental perceptions of child weight, parental participation and modifiable factors in obesity prevention.

She additionally leads the JHACH Center for Pediatric Health Equity Research based within the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. The center seeks to develop and implement research efforts focused on promoting health equity for children and families within the organization and community with a focus on community-informed efforts.

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

  • A Look Back at Healthy Lifestyle Behavioral Patterns among School-Age Children: Are We Neglecting Healthy Weight for Overweight Kids?, Liebert Publishing (April 22, 2019)

    How to Reduce Hidden Sugars in Your Family’s Diet, Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine (March 1, 2022)

    New study shows childhood obesity requires early and aggressive treatment, like surgery or medication, WFTS -TV (January 10, 2023)

    Teens Are Taking Wegovy for Weight Loss. But Doctors Have a Lot to Learn, TIME Magazine (June 6, 2023)

Research Interests

Center-based child care, Childhood nutrition, Childhood obesity, Preschool weight risks

Research Summary

Dr. Hernandez’s research focuses largely on the prevention and management of childhood obesity.

She has identified factors that enhance obesity prevention and treatment efforts within the pediatric primary care setting, with a focus on the role of parental perceptions of child weight, parental participation and modifiable factors in obesity prevention.

At the 2014 annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, Dr. Hernandez presented research demonstrating that few overweight school-age children are able to outgrow their weight problems.

At Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Dr. Hernandez is working on a grant-funded project to delineate socio-ecologic factors that promote return to healthy weight. She has also introduced an obesity prevention and treatment model to the resident clinic.

Her future areas of research include describing the genetic and biochemical markers of early childhood obesity to target prevention strategies in the general pediatric clinic setting.

Selected Publications

  • Chen A,Demaestri S, Schweiberger K, Sidani J, Wolyn R, Chaves-Gnecco D, Hernandez R.G., Rothengerger S, Mickievicz E, Cowden JC, Ragavan M. Inclusion of Non-English-Speaking Participants In Pediatric Research: A Systematic Review. JAMA Pediatrics. 2023 Jan 1;177(1):81-88  https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3828. Data acquisition, data analysis, edited manuscript

  • Vilidnitsky A, Hernandez RG, Silva C, Fields E. Comparing Geographic Accessibility of HIV Testing and HIV Burden Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Tampa Bay, Florida. J Adolesc Health (In press). Project and grant development, data acquisition, data analysis, manuscript development. 

Honors

  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor-Pediatrics, 6/1/22
  • Castle Connolly-Top Doctor Pediatrics, 6/1/21
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor-Pediatrics, 6/1/20
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor-Pediatrics, 6/1/19
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor-Pediatrics, 7/1/18
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor-Pediatrics, Castle Connolly, 6/1/17
  • Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1/1/10
  • Diplomate, American Board of Pediatrics, 1/1/06

Memberships

  • Academic Pediatric Association
  • American Academy of Pediatrics

Professional Activities

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Obesity Leadership Workgroup, 1/1/09
  • Integrated Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction (Pediatrics guideline),, Reviewer, 1/1/08
  • Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Curriculum Committee, 1/1/11
  • Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Graduate Medical Education Committee, 1/1/11
  • National Childhood Obesity Foundation, Healthcare Committee, 1/1/10

Locations

  1. Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care, St. Petersburg
    • 601 5th Street South, Suite C230, St Petersburg, FL 33701

    Expertise

    Education

    Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

    Fellowship, Pediatrics, 2009

    Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

    Residency, Pediatrics, 2006

    Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

    Medical Education, MD, 2003

    Board Certifications

    Obesity Medicine

    American Board of Obesity Medicine, 2015

    Pediatrics

    American Board of Pediatrics, 2006

    Insurance

    Johns Hopkins providers accept various commercial health insurance plans. However, they may not be included in all of an insurance company's plans or offerings. This may include Exchange, Medicaid, Medicare, and specific limited benefit plans. Exceptions to participation also exist based on your employer’s benefits package and the provider's location or specialty. Please contact your insurer directly to make sure your doctor is covered by your plan. For more details, please review our Insurance Information.
    Search plans
    • Aetna (Commercial)
    • Aetna Better Health (Medicaid)
    • Avmed (Commercial)
    • BCBS FL (Commercial)
    • Cigna Health Care (Commercial)
    • Community Care Plan (Medicaid)
    • Evolutions (Commercial)
    • Florida Medicaid
    • Gulf Coast Provider Network (Commercial)
    • Humana Commercial
    • Humana Medicaid
    • Medicare
    • Molina/ Magellan (Medicaid)
    • Multiplan (Commercial)
    • Simply Healthcare (Medicaid&Healthy Kids)
    • Sunshine State/ Wellcare (Medicaid &Healthy Kids)
    • TriCare
    • United (Commercial)
    • United Community Plan (Medicaid&HealthyKids)
    • WPS TriCare East (Commercial)