Cristina Rivera Carpenter

Cristina Rivera Carpenter, PhD, MSN, RN, serves as the Nurse Executive at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board, Inc., overseeing the MultiService Unit and Intensive Care Unit and chairing the Institutional Review Board since January 2021. Cristina has a diverse background in nursing education and community health, having held positions such as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Arizona and Regis University, and Program Coordinator at Northern Arizona University. Additional experience includes contributions as a Program Officer for the Navajo Nation within the HEAL Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco, and as a faculty member for the Navajo Childhood Asthma Program at National Jewish Health. Cristina obtained a PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona, along with a Master of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from South Dakota State University.