Arizona
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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The Washington Huskies saw one of their few remaining uncommitted targets in the 2027 class go elsewhere on Thursday afternoon when three-star cornerback Evan Mack announced his commitment to Jedd Fisch’s former program, the Arizona Wildcats.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound product of Crean Lutheran High School in Southern California chose coach Brent Brennan’s team out of a final three that also included the Huskies and Arizona State, after official visits to all three programs.
After taking an unofficial visit to Seattle for spring practice in April, Mack took his first official visit, a trip to Arizona State, on May 1. Then, he returned to Montlake on June 5, before wrapping things up in Tucson on June 19, which made enough of an impact for the Wildcats to win the battle for his services.
As a junior, the nation’s No. 613 overall prospect and No. 64 cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite, tallied 49 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions, while showcasing the promising athleticism and ball skills that secondary coach John Richardson is looking for on the outside.
If he were to have chosen the Huskies, Mack, who has plenty of room to add weight to his frame for the physicality of the Big Ten, would’ve had a long route to the field. Behind projected starters Dylan Robinson and Emmanuel Karnley, who both have eligibility to return in 2027, Washington’s coaching staff is expecting a contribution from four-star freshman Rahsjon Duncan on the outside, while his classmate Jeron Jones and sophomore Elias Johnson both stood out during spring practice.
The Huskies currently have one commit at cornerback in three-star Maurice Williams; however, the Huskies also hold several projections to reel in coveted four-star IMG Academy product Censere Gaylord.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry has installed Monica Coury, vice president of external affairs at Arizona Complete Health, as chair of its board of directors, as the organization begins its new fiscal year.
Coury officially assumed the chairmanship during a ceremonial passing of the gavel at the Chamber’s June 26 board meeting. She succeeds Ted Geisler, president and CEO of APS, who served as board chair over the past two years.
As chair, Coury will lead the Chamber’s board while helping guide the organization’s efforts to advance policies that strengthen Arizona’s economy, improve the state’s business climate, and promote long-term prosperity.
“It is an incredible honor to serve as chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry,” Coury said. “I want to thank my fellow board members for the confidence they’ve placed in me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the Chamber’s outstanding team. The Chamber has long been one of Arizona’s most effective and respected advocates on behalf of the state’s job creators, and I look forward to building on that legacy as we continue working to make Arizona the best place in the nation to live, work, and do business.”
Coury has served on the Chamber’s board for several years. She previously chaired the Public Affairs Committee and most recently served as chair-elect. In her role at Arizona Complete Health, she oversees one of the state’s leading health plans and has been a prominent voice on issues involving healthcare access, workforce development, and Arizona’s economic competitiveness.
“Monica is an exceptional leader whose collaborative approach, strategic vision, and deep commitment to Arizona make her the ideal person to lead our board,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “She understands that a strong economy depends on smart public policy, and she has consistently brought thoughtful leadership and sound judgment to the Chamber. I look forward to working closely with Monica as we continue advancing policies that help Arizona employers create jobs, invest, and grow.”
Seiden also thanked Geisler for his leadership during a period that included significant legislative successes and continued growth for the Chamber.
“Ted has been an outstanding chairman, a trusted partner, and a friend,” Seiden said. “His steady leadership, business acumen, and unwavering commitment to Arizona’s economic future have helped position the Chamber for continued success. We are grateful for his service and look forward to his continued counsel and involvement on our board.”
The Chamber also installed the following governing board officers:
- Chair-elect: Jimmy Lindblom, Willmeng Construction
- Vice-chair, audit & finance: Don Isaacson, Isaacson Law Firm
- Vice-chair, manufacturing: Angela Creedon, Intel
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry is Arizona’s leading statewide business advocacy organization, representing employers of every size and industry across the state. The Chamber’s mission is to advance Arizona’s competitiveness through policies that foster economic growth, job creation, and opportunity for all Arizonans.
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