Board certified in pediatric cardiology, Dr. Rachel Manalo joined Valley Children’s as a cardiologist in July 2020.
Dr. Manalo comes to Valley Children’s as a committed physician to serve the Bakersfield community. Dr. Manalo has strong ties to Bakersfield, with her family members residing in Bakersfield and previously performing clinical rotations in Bakersfield as a medical student.
She received her medical degree from Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, California where she graduated with honors and was admitted as a member of Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society. She then went on to complete a pediatric residency at the University of California San Francisco in Fresno, California where she received recognition for outstanding teaching by a resident and pioneered EKG teaching for pediatric residents. She then completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami in Miami, Florida where she served as a chief pediatric cardiology fellow.
Dr. Manalo’s research on pediatric cardiology has been recognized in several written and oral presentation opportunities, including case reports, guest speaking engagements and a poster presentation given at the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery on Myocardial Strain Imaging in the Assessment of Ventricular Function in Pediatric Patients.
Throughout her career, Dr. Manalo has served in leadership positions in various organizations committed to continuing medical education, including serving as the Florida Regional Vice President for the Committee of Interns and Residents at Jackson Memorial Hospital. In this role, she attended national conventions to receive additional advocacy training for issues involving resident and fellows training. She also led the COVID-19 response for more than 1,100 residents and fellows to ensure their health and safety during the pandemic.
Dr. Manalo is passionate about giving back to the community through volunteerism. She has volunteered for the American Heart Association Regional Family Conference in Miami, Florida, as a physician guest speaker for the annual Central California Truancy Summit to provide education for providers who work with at-risk youth and young adults, as a physician judge for the Fresno-Madera Medical Society’s medical themed high school science fair, and as a committee member on the Down Syndrome Subcommittee at Valley Children’s Hospital, which evaluates ways to improve medical care for children with Down syndrome.