Dr. Carmela Sosa was born and raised in Fresno, California. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Following post-baccalaureate pre-medical coursework at California State University, Fresno, she went on to earn her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Drawn specifically to the underserved, medically complex pediatric population, Dr. Sosa completed her pediatric residency with MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where she also served as a fourth-year chief resident and worked with the Comprehensive Care team.
Dr. Sosa has practiced pediatrics in both the urban and rural health settings – always focused on children with special health care needs and pediatric mental health. She joined Valley Children’s Charlie Mitchell Children’s Center in April 2012 to provide complex primary care to children of the Valley. Her roles expanded in 2016 to include Associate Program Director of the Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program, and again in 2019 to Medical Director of Valley Children’s Primary Care. Today, Dr. Sosa is the director for Valley Children’s Guilds Center for Community Health where she works with community partners to improve the health of kids outside of the hospital walls. With her knowledge and expertise, she works to combat the social determinants that impact the overall well-being of kids throughout the Central Valley.
Dr. Sosa currently serves as a national pillar co-lead for the American Academy of Pediatrics Community Pediatrics Training Initiative. Dr. Sosa has completed primary care psychiatry training with the University of California Irvine/University of California Davis, and is an accredited trainer in the American Association of Suicidology’s Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk in Primary Care. She is a member of several professional societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves as an active member of the AAP California Chapter 1 Mental Health Access Subcommittee. Her passion for teaching and practicing patient and family-centered care has earned her several Valley Children’s recognition awards, including the Parent’s Choice Award (2016), Teacher of the Year (2017) and the Dowain Wright Patient Experience Award (2018).
In her spare time, Dr. Sosa enjoys creative cake making and being outdoors with family and friends.