Sharry Veres, MD, Named One of Phoenix Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business

Sharry Veres, MD, MHSM, chair of the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, has long been an advocate for bettering the health of the communities she serves.

That dedication to service was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as they named her one of their Outstanding Women in Business for 2024. The awards recognized powerful, determined businesswomen who make their communities better places to live. From a pool of more than 250 candidates, Dr. Veres was one of 26 women from varied professional backgrounds chosen for the award.

Dr. Veres was grateful to be recognized. “I’m thankful for the nomination and the opportunities I have been given here. It’s an opportunity to draw positive attention to the work I care about,” she said.

Positively impacting communities through better access to health care is what motivates Dr. Veres. As a leader and mentor, she is building a learning community of physicians who embrace innovation. 

“We are looking at ways to improve health outcomes, including a better understanding of the social factors in health. We are also looking at innovative ways to approach our clinical care and teaching,” Dr. Veres said.

Ensuring care is more accessible is a central component of her mission. The physician shortage gap is pressing in the field of primary care — especially in Arizona, where it is estimated that more than 660 additional doctors are needed to meet the current demand. As a result, primary care physicians are often under resourced and overworked.

“There is such an opportunity in academic family medicine and primary care to better understand the health of our communities and develop practical solutions. We are focused on improving access to health care in Arizona — looking at strategies to address physician shortages, rural health care needs and improving physician stress,” Dr. Veres explained. 

As part of those efforts, the college recently launched the Family Medicine Residency – Payson. The inaugural three residents will begin their training in that program this July. That expansion of the college’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs is just one portion of Dr. Veres’ larger goal.

“We have an energetic and creative team of faculty with big future plans. Some of these plans have involved the growth of GME into rural Arizona and the East Valley, partnerships with Community Health Centers, longitudinal integrated clerkships, rural health sites and innovative programs to promote community health and outreach,” she said. 

Dr. Veres also believes preventing disease is just as important as treating illness. “We have innovations in the clinical spaces — including development of a food pantry, community garden and integrated multidisciplinary care teams,” she said.

Fred Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, dean of the college, spoke highly of Dr. Veres’ deserved recognition and of her efforts to help foster more equitable care for Arizonans. “Dr. Veres’ career has been one built upon giving back to her profession and to the community. As a physician, mentor and leader, she has made it a priority to better the health of her patients and to optimize the training of residents, fellows and faculty.”