EL CENTRO, Calif. — Innercare Family Nurse Practitioner Leslie Fernandez feels extremely comfortable working in a medical facility, having spent many childhood afternoons doing her homework in an ophthalmologist’s office waiting for her mother to finish her work shift.

These days, the 38-year-old Fernandez makes it a point to assure her patients feel comfortable as she works with women of all ages in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Innercare’s Brawley facility, 900 Main St.

“I kind of grew up in a doctor’s office going to work with my mom, so it just felt like a natural fit to get involved with healthcare,” said Fernandez, who grew up in El Centro and graduated from Central Union High School in 2003. “Once I got started working in women’s healthcare I just fell in love with it. Women’s healthcare is unique in that you have the ability to provide care through all stages of a woman’s life.”

Fernandez received Associates’ Degrees from Imperial Valley College in psychology and nursing, before getting her Bachelors’ of Science degree in nursing from San Diego State University in 2011. She returned to school seven years later to begin working on her post-graduate degree and earned her Masters’ of Science degree in nursing from United States University in San Diego in 2020. 

While attending USU to obtain her master’s degree, Fernandez worked at Innercare’s El Centro facility as a Registered Nurse. She began her career at Innercare in 2019 after working 11 years at El Centro Regional Medical Center as a Registered Nurse in the Labor and Delivery Department.

Fernandez began working at Innercare in Brawley in 2021 as the facility’s Family Nurse Practitioner in the Women’s Health Department.

“Innercare has been the foundation of my NP (Nurse Practitioner) career, unconditionally supportive throughout my schooling, residency and other achievements,” Fernandez said. “As I continue to grow with Innercare, I look forward to what the future of healthcare will bring.”

Innercare offers an extensive array of services designed to meet the health care needs of female patients. Services offered for women include: birth control, breast and cervical cancer screening, gynecological exams, family planning, basic mammograms, pregnancy testing and prenatal care.

Innercare also offers several free or low-cost programs for women, including Every Woman Counts, Family PACT and Presumptive Eligibility.

“Working alongside Innercare’s experienced, dedicated team of OBGYNs and our women’s health team, I hope to continue to provide the women of Imperial County compassionate obstetrical and gynecological health care,” Fernandez said.

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