Arizona

New primary care physicians contribute to healthier Arizona

Published

3 months ago

February 15, 2024

New primary care physicians contribute to healthier Arizona

In 2019, the University of Arizona Health Sciences launched the Primary Care Physician Scholarship program to alleviate an alarming shortage of primary care physicians in Arizona. Last fall, the first scholarship recipients entered the workforce as physicians, fulfilling the program’s promise of expanding access to health care in the state.

Primary Care Physician Scholarship recipient Megan Kelly, MD, is now a doctor at Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health Desert Mission Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Phoenix.

An estimated 600 primary care providers were needed to address the state’s shortage when the state legislature approved $8 million in annual funding to support scholarships for medical students. In exchange for free tuition, scholarship recipients committed to practice primary care or another designated critical-access specialty in a rural or urban underserved Arizona community.

By January of 2020, 29 students from the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson and the UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix comprised the first group of Primary Care Physician Scholarship recipients. Three students – Dawn Bowling, MD, Megan Kelly, MD, and George Nguyen, MD – accepted the scholarship during their final year of medical school. They all graduated, completed their residencies last summer, and accepted positions as primary care physicians in Arizona.

Watch a video of Dawn Bowling and her journey to becoming a primary care physician.

A bridge to better care

For Nguyen, the path to becoming a physician had a bridge, but not one Nguyen had to cross. Rather, it was a bridge he provided as a teenager to help his family navigate the health care system.

Primary Care Physician Scholarship recipient George Nguyen, MD, is now a doctor of internal medicine and a clinical assistant professor at the College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Nguyen grew up in Peoria, Arizona, a once-rural city that is now part of the vast Phoenix metropolitan area. His Vietnamese parents did not speak English well, which resulted in challenging conversations when Nguyen’s grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

“My parents had lived in American for some time and were the main caretaker for my grandma, but they had never needed to be involved in my grandmother’s health care like this situation called for,” said Nguyen, who was in high school at the time. “And not speaking English well was another layer on top of the barriers they began to face.”

Nguyen felt inspired to become a leader within his family and took the initiative to facilitate their health care needs. His proficiency with the English language helped overcome many of the major hurdles the family faced, and that sense of service led him to broader ambitions to become a doctor.

“What I’ve realized is that my family situation is very similar to other patients and their family situations,” Nguyen said. “There are a lot of barriers that patients are not able to get through to access health care. I wanted to be a bigger part of that, and I felt like being a primary care physician was one way I could achieve that.”

Nguyen shares a special moment with his grandmother at his wedding in 2022. He says the act of helping facilitate health care for his grandmother fueled his amibition to become a doctor.

Nguyen studied physiology as an undergraduate at the University of Arizona before graduating from the College of Medicine – Phoenix and completing a residency at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. He recently became an assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix in addition to his work at Banner Health Center in Arcadia.

A pivot to a new passion

Like Nguyen, Kelly was born and raised in the Phoenix area. Her grandmother is a nurse, which fostered her early interest in taking care of people. This led her to Tucson to pursue an undergraduate degree at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. She planned to get a master’s degree in public health, too, but as she progressed through her undergraduate studies, she became more interested in patient care and pivoted to medical school.

Megan Kelly, MD, was joined by her husband, Austin, and their son, Emmett, at her residency graduation held at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in June 2023.

“I realized that many of my interests in public health could have more impact in the clinical setting,” Kelly explained. “Addressing inequities in our health care system and understanding different types of patient populations is what family medicine is so passionate and focused on. So it was a pretty easy decision from there to go into family medicine.”

Kelly completed medical school at the College of Medicine – Phoenix and a residency at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. She was hired at the Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health Desert Mission Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Phoenix.

Kelly believes her background in public health gives her a unique perspective in understanding her patients.

“It makes me more compassionate,” Kelly said. “For me, it’s not just treating a disease and giving them a treatment plan. I understand that I need to look at the whole person and consider that they have a life outside of the four walls of the clinic, where stressors and other factors either contribute to their condition or perhaps make it difficult to pursue certain treatment path. Those are all things a primary care physician needs to take into account.”

Kelly is excited for others to follow in the path made possible by the Primary Care Physician Scholarship program.

“The more primary care physicians we have, the healthier our population can be,” Kelly said. “More physicians give more people access to the health care system. And the more access people have to their primary care physician, the easier it becomes to catch infections and diseases early. This provides better paths to treatments for patients and results in healthier populations in general.”

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Arizona

Arizona Restaurant Week is back. These are the 16 best menus to try during the spring event

Published

4 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Press Room

Arizona Restaurant Week is back. These are the 16 best menus to try during the spring event

Georgann Yara
| Special for The Republic

The spring edition of the bi-annual Arizona Restaurant Week dining event returns from May 17-26. It’s a great time to get out and try restaurants that have been on your list, as the participants are offering $33, $44 or $55 menus with either three or four courses and some even include a drink.

Participants range from casual neighborhood hangouts to luxe resort establishments, longtime destinations to buzzy newcomers, and all categories in between. With more than 160 restaurants, figuring out where to eat can be overwhelming. We scoured the Arizona Restaurant Week website, where new menus are added daily for the most exciting offers. These 16 menus caught our attention thanks to the number of options for each course, creativity of dishes, the value — or all of the above. Reservations are recommended for them all.

Here’s a look at the most exciting menus to try during spring Arizona Restaurant Week 2024.

Kembara, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

Chef Angelo Sosa’s menu is inspired by some of his favorite Asian street foods. The experience commences with the popular Tuna Thai Jewel with lemongrass-ginger broth, kiwi, jicama and Thai basil. A sampling of three dishes comprise the second course: chicken satay with lemongrass, ginger and cashew sauce; crab fried rice with oyster sauce, sugar snap peas and curry leaf; and the green papaya served with salted egg, tomato and charred beans with fish. Vietnamese coffee doughnuts with Lens Coffee and condensed milk on the side is dessert.

Details: 5350 E. Marriott Drive Phoenix. 480-293-3936, kembaradesertridge.com.

Kaizen

$44 per person
4 courses
Dine-in only

Start with shishito peppers tossed in miso caramel with bonito flakes or the miso soup shimeji with mushrooms, tofu, green onion and wakame with small sunomono salad. A Kaizen nigiri sampler with seared tuna, yellowtail with orange and shiso aguachile, salmon with apple mint chutney and inari with spicy tuna is the second course. For the entree, decide between anise ginger marinated slow braised short ribs served with house pickles, jicama slaw and two bao buns or Nanban tempura fish with ceviche sauce. End the night on a sweet note with yuzu white chocolate pot de creme green tea macarons.

Details: 515 E. Grant Street Phoenix. 602-432-0752, kaizenphx.com.

Match Market & Bar, FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel

$55 per person dinner, 4 courses
$20 per person lunch, 2 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Those who come in for dinner will choose two tapas from the following: patatas bravas; spicy crab salad; Iberico ham; blistered padron peppers; albondigas; and fried pearl onions with Calabrian chile oil. Next, go with the Russian potato salad with albacore and hard boiled egg or the pear and fennel salad with truffle pecorino and maple dressing. Four main course dishes vie for the spotlight: pan-seared cod; pollo asado; grilled hanger steak with patatas bravas; or orecchiette with Spanish chorizo, manchego and roasted tomato sauce. For the finale, decide between cajeta-filled churros with Mexican hot chocolate for dipping or orange cinnamon crema Catalana.

Swing by for lunch and start with the Russian potato salad, pear and fennel salad or Spanish style Caesar salad with Marcona almonds, crispy chickpeas and shaved manchego. Next, choose from four sandwiches that come with chips: grilled or fried chicken sandwich on ciabatta; grilled hanger steak on baguette; tuna on baguette; or grilled vegetables with romesco and goat cheese on ciabatta.

Details: 1100 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-875-8080, matchphx.com.

The Market by Jennifer’s

$44 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Kick off dinner with Chula Seafood jumbo shrimp with cauliflower puree and grilled corn, fried parmesan-crusted burrata with baby artichoke or cold asparagus soup with fried spinach chips. Next, choose among four entrees: pan seared Chula Aussie Ora King salmon in a shitaki mushroom broth with caramelized shallot compound butter on a bed of sticky rice; Sonoran Pasta Co. fusilli with spring peas, heirloom cherry tomatoes, squash and carrot ribbons and asparagus tips; chicken cacciatore on orzo or Meat by Lindz grilled hanger steak with chimichurri and Frites Street’s baton cut fries. Select one of two desserts from Tracy Dempsey Originals: a goat cheese panna cotta with rosemary infused strawberry compote or the chocolate-Italian sweet vermouth caramel tart with crushed pistachios and whipped crème.

Details: 3603 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-626-5050, themarketbyjennifers.com.

The Rosticceria

$33 per person
4 courses
Dine-in only

Begin with a starter of zeppole and prosciutto or grilled baby artichokes. After a second course of an Italian wedge or Sicilian salad, entree choices are: a 10-layer lasagna with short rib ragu and béchamel; red wine-braised Italian short ribs served over creamy polenta; shrimp Parmigiano featuring herb and breadcrumb dusted jumbo prawns in a white wine and san marzano tomato herb sauce with mozzarella or porchetteria, featuring their signature pork rubbed with wild fennel pollen that’s cooked for six hours and served with baked Sicilian pasta and broccolini. Walk it all off with a trip to the build-your-own gelato milkshake bar for dessert.

Details: 12811 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix. 480-916-0116, therosticceria.com.

Arcadia Farms

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

A dizzying array of 26 items offered over three courses means there’s something for everyone. Of the 10 starter options, the artisanal cheese plate with five French cheeses, fig jam and dried fruits; pate with cornichons, French mustard and toasts; and a bacon gruyere and leek tartlet with baby greens and tarragon dressing are attention grabbers. Of the seven main course options, chicken, wild mushroom and leek crepes with baby spinach, goat cheese and bechamel; beef bourguignon and a warm, layered grilled vegetable napoleon are worth strong consideration. Of the nine desserts, the carrot cake tuxedo cake with chocolate mousse filling, white chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache, and their twist on a strawberry shortcake with a fresh strawberry scone, vanilla bean whipped cream and fresh strawberries, had our mouths watering.

Details: 7025 E. First Ave., Scottsdale. 480-941-5665, arcadiafarmscafe.com.

Familglia

$55 per person
4 courses
Dine-in only

The restaurant helmed by sommelier Broc Chavez and executive chef Richard Rangel kicks things off with housemade focaccia with basil salt and Calabrian chile butter. For the second course, choose from grilled peach and housemade mozzarella, fritto misto with squid and shrimp or caesar salad. Main course options are: sausage and pepper gnocchi, pear and cheese-stuffed sacchetti, spaghetti primavera, chicken piccata or the acqua pazza’s market fish with fennel, baby tomatoes and crostini. The house cannolo is dessert.

Details: 17025 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-366-4021, famigliascottsdale.com.

Liz Modern Asian

Dine-in and takeout
$33 per person dinner
$44 per couple for dim sum lunch

For dinner, a smorgasbord of 10 courses await: Chinese chicken salad, dumplings, cheese puffs, pork bun, prime rib, Korean fried chicken, walnut shrimp, Hainan chicken and rice and brisket lo mein.

The dim sum experience includes dumplings, cheese puffs, spring roll, Chinese chicken salad and Korean fried chicken. Both menus end with cake.

Details: 15323 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-292-7689, lizmodernasianrestaurant.com

Taza Bistro & Bar

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Take an international culinary tour with globally-inspired plates. To start, choose the pear and brie salad with arugula and balsamic reduction, bacon-wrapped dates with spicy chutney or baked feta puttanesca and toasted sourdough. For the main course decide among: duck breast a l’orange with dauphinoise potatoes and grilled asparagus, zaatar herbed grilled lamb with tzatziki, herbed couscous and honey glazed carrots or wild caught pan seared sea bass in lemon caper butter and spaghetti cacio e pepe. For dessert, opt for New York-style cheesecake, mixed berry compote baklava or honey chocolate mousse.

Details: 9619 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. 480-842-2275, tazabistro.com.

Bar Cena

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

Begin with marinated cucumber with whipped tofu, fresh herbs and chili crunch; frisee salad with endive, apple and Point Reyes bleu cheese in a roasted shallot vinaigrette; or mussels escabeche with pickled vegetables and grilled noble bread. Choose from three entree offerings: crispy skin chicken thigh with orzo, sundried tomato and feta; Sonoran Pasta Co. pappardelle with a wild mushroom bolognese; or seared ahi tuna in a green sauce with edamame and radish. For dessert, choose between the billionaire’s shortbread with caramel, ganache and a French sea salt finish or cheesecake with biscoff cookie crumb crust.

Details: 14202 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-597-6526, barcenascottsdale.com.

Liberty Market

$44/person
3 courses, beverage included
Dine-in and takeout

This beloved downtown Gilbert restaurant impresses with the food it’s known for right off the bat with starter choices of boneless fried chicken with a cheddar-jalapeno biscuit or sweet sesame fried shrimp. For the main course, decide between beef stroganoff with wild mushrooms and spaetzle or seared pork belly accompanied by creamy polenta, grilled asparagus and a cherry red wine sauce. Key lime cheesecake or raspberry eclair will be dessert. Sip on a fountain drink, drip coffee or glass of red or rose wine, any one of which are included with your meal.

Details: 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. 480-892-1900, libertymarket.com.

Terra Tempe Kitchen & Spirits, The Westin Tempe

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

The signature ground-floor restaurant at the Westin in downtown Tempe offers three starter options: halibut Peruvian ceviche; roasted baby carrots, squash, mushroom and cauliflower salad with brown butter brioche; cilantro-jalapeno hummus and roasted garlic oil; and mixed green salad with drunken goat cheese, mango and pomegranate vinaigrette. There are four entree choices: ricotta gnocchi; pan seared halibut with zucchini puree and red quinoa in an aji-mango sauce; membrillo half chicken with Sonoran bacon-potato salad, quince glaze and salsa verde; and braised short rib with mesquite polenta fries, summer squash and pomegranate beef gravy. For the sweet ending, decide between Mexican Chocolate atole custard with dulce de leche caramel, chantilly and mini churro bites, or the orange creamsicle cheesecake made with Arizona citrus cremeux, blood orange gel and mandarin oranges.

Details: 11 E. Seventh St., Tempe. 480-968-8885, terratempe.com.

Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Khandari pork ribs, chicken tikka highway, samosa pinwheel chaat and a trio of puchka are among the eight starter choices. Saffron pulao rice, black dairy dal and garlic naan accompany each of the six main course options, which include: malai kofta; mushroom pepper fry; saag paneer; Old Delhi butter chicken; kashmiri mutton rogan josh and tandoori salmon. For dessert, decide among gulab jamun cheesecake, chocolate brownie with pistachio ice cream and saffron milk foam or Kulfi popsicle bar with candied rose petals.

Details: 3491 W. Frye Road, Chandler. 480-534-7178, feringhee.com.

Tempo Urban Bistro

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Choose from starters like lobster beignets, black bean duck spring roll or poached pear salad. Next, ponder four main selections: salmon wellington, pork osso buco, steak au poivre or Dungeness crab ravioli. For dessert, a tough decision awaits between banana xango, lemon meringue pie and bourbon pecan pie.

Details: 21067 W. Main St., Buckeye. 623-594-6788, tempourbanbistro.com.

Ajo Al’s Mexican Cafe

$55 per couple
3 courses, beverage included
Dine-in only

Share an order of chile con queso or guacamole to start, then each person gets their own entree of blanco enchiladas stuffed with mushrooms or spinach, shredded beef quesabirria tacos with consomme dipping sauce, a burrito bowl with chicken or steak or a crisp chicken burro topped with cream cheese and melted cheddar. For dessert, split the flan or key lime pie. Toast with a Mexican beer, house margarita or Mexican mule, any of which come with your meal.

Details: 5101 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-222-9902. Other locations at ajoals.com.

Fabio on Fire

$44 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Begin with lightly breaded shrimp roasted in a wood-fired oven, wood-fired pork belly with rosemary focaccia and chickpea hummus or lightly fried short rib ravioli. Main course options are: white pizza adorned with imported bufala mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, arugula and shaved parmesan; lobster tortellini in a pink vodka cream sauce with crab; braised short rib ravioli in a buttercream sage sauce; or homemade tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce. One scoop of chef Fabio’s homemade gelato is dessert.

Details: 8275 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria. 623-680-5385, fabioonfire.com.

The best places to dine in 2024: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix

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Arizona

Arizona pup finalist in national shelter dog makeover contest

Published

11 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Press Room

Arizona pup finalist in national shelter dog makeover contest

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — An Arizona dog’s drastic makeover landed her a spot in a national contest, and she needs the public’s help to claim the grand prize.

Bella, a 12-year-old miniature poodle, is a finalist in the Dirty Dogs Contest, which shows some of the best doggie makeovers from across the country.

Bella was taken to the Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix after her owner got sick.

She arrived with long, matted, dirty fur covering most of her body and eyes. The shelter staff quickly went to work pampering the pooch with a bath and much-needed haircut.

Before and after photos of Bella, a 12-year-old miniature poodle who was taken to the Arizona Humane Society and was immediately pampered with a grooming and bath.(Arizona Humane Society / Dirty Dogs Contest)

After removing the matted fur, Bella looked like a new dog with a bright smile. She has since found her furever home.

Voting is open until May 31 to determine the top groomed dog.

If Bella wins, $10,000 would go to the Arizona Humane Society. Second place will receive $3,000, and the third place gets $2,000.

To cast your vote or learn more about the Dirty Dogs Contest, click here.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

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Arizona

Cardinals RB Led NFL in This Stat Last Season

Published

19 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Press Room

Cardinals RB Led NFL in This Stat Last Season

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals will again see James Conner tote the rock for them in 2024.

If his upcoming season is anything like last year, the Cardinals will again be in business.

Operating under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme – which prioritizes establishing the run – Conner thrived to the tune of his first 1,000-yard rushing season to pair with seven rushing touchdowns while catching two more through the air.

Conner’s impact was felt on a game-to-game basis, and The 33rd Team recently pointed out Conner paced the NFL in yards after contact with a 3.93 average, beating out other prominent names such as Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry.

James Conner and Jaylen Warren were the only RBs last season to average over 3.5 yards after contact 🚂💨 pic.twitter.com/VQEAH6ydX5
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) May 11, 2024

Conner also hit his career-high in yards per carry at 5.0.

The Cardinals have added some weapons to push their offense over the top in 2024, most notably rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and run-blocking tight end Tip Reiman in the draft. In free agency, Arizona has added receiver Zay Jones and offensive tackle Jonah Williams.

Behind Conner is rookie running back Trey Benson and Michael Carter.

Arizona’s rushing attack was night-and-day different without Conner in the mix, and perhaps that’s why the Cardinals felt the need to make Benson the second rusher off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Conner is also entering the final year of his contract and just turned 29-years-old.

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