Dr. Celina Moore brings a global perspective—and a love of science and puzzles—to her approach to working with patients. Born to a Spanish mother and an American father who first met while doing volunteer work in Niger, Dr. Moore knew from an early age she wanted to be of service to people in her own community and around the world. As a pediatrician who works with children and adolescents, she loves meeting people where they are.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, Dr. Moore began her academic career studying French literature at Loyola University in Maryland. She started her medical training at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain and later moved to Mexico to study at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine before earning her medical degree from New York Medical College, where she studied at St. Vincent's Medical Center. She then completed her residency in pediatrics at Miami Children’s Hospital, where she saw patients referred from across the Southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and South America.
“Training in other countries, you get to see a lot of very interesting pathology, a lot of interesting cultures and stories, and different ways people manage health, death, illness, parenthood—everything,” Dr. Moore says. “This led me to be very open-minded in how I approach people and problems.”
Dr. Moore carries those lessons with her when discussing goals, answering questions, or helping patients address issues they are facing. She sees her role as a partner to families, advocating for each child’s health with the same passion as their parents.
“There are so many great ways of being a parent, and not all of them are in the parenting books,” she says. “Establishing trust and being able to have an ongoing dialogue is important.”
She also works to maintain that trust as children move into adolescence, championing teens as they experience a complex time in their lives. Throughout her career, Dr. Moore has become known as a physician who provides supportive, welcoming care for LGBTQ+ patients. She has also developed an interest in child psychiatry and considers mental health a crucial part of each child’s overall well-being.
“At Atria we have the luxury of time—something that, as a pediatrician, we don't always get,” Dr. Moore says. “A child does not exist in a vacuum. There are family members, caretakers, and influences around them—culturally, economically, socially, and genetically—and I can use my puzzlemaster skills to put everything together and treat the child holistically.”
Through her Akoma Ntoso Foundation, Dr. Moore convenes a group of volunteers in Ghana each year, partnering with local health groups to treat chronic medical conditions and acute health needs. Dr. Moore is passionate about democratizing access to critical health information and care. “It’s my goal to take what we're learning and apply it to people who otherwise wouldn't have that opportunity,” she says.
She also gives back closer to home, working with children in hospice settings, serving on the board of the literacy organization Giz Kidz Foundation, and mentoring students who are interested in pursuing medicine. When Dr. Moore is not working, she teaches classes at her church, practices improv comedy, and enjoys traveling with her husband and three children.
Credentials
- Affiliate Assistant Professor of Medical EducationUniversity of Miami Miller School of Medicine
- Affiliate Assistant Professor of Clinical Biomedical ScienceFlorida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
- PediatricianVitas Hospice Care
- Former Owner/General PediatricianAdvanced Pediatrics of Boca
- Former In-House PediatricianThe Boca Raton resort
- Former Chair of the Pediatrics DepartmentWest Boca Medical Center
- Former General PediatricianBoca Pediatric Group
- Former General PediatricianStoneham Pediatrics
Awards
- Woman of the YearSoroptimist Club Boca Raton-Deerfield Beach Chapter
Affiliations
- Founding Board Member and Vice PresidentAkoma Ntoso Foundation
- Governing Board MemberWest Boca Medical Center
- Board Member and SecretaryGiz Kids Foundation
- MemberGeneral Pediatrics Practice Analysis Panel at American Board of Pediatrics