PRINCETON, N.J. — Princeton University women’s water polo alumna Dr. Veronica Diaz ’99 was recently featured in her alma mater’s Tiger Hero Series dedicated to honoring medical professionals who are making a mark.
City, State / Workplace / Title
West Palm Beach, FL/Palm Beach Hand to Shoulder
Medical Specialty / Other Degrees (MBA/MPH, etc.)
Orthopedic Surgery (Shoulder, Elbow & Hand)
What made you choose a career in healthcare?
I was attracted to upper extremity surgery fairly early in medical school. I loved the technical and problem solving aspects of it. The shoulder positions the hand in space, and the hands define us as humans. Despite requiring a narrow focus, it is very much the “primary care” of surgical specialties in that you treat people of all ages, with vastly different activity demands and goals.
What is the focus of your work today?
I am in solo private practice in Palm Beach County, Florida. My clinical time is split between evaluating patients in the office and surgery, including arthroscopic and open treatment of sports injuries, fractures, and degenerative conditions of the shoulder and upper extremity. I also work in healthcare technology as the Medical Director of Orthopedics at Modernizing Medicine, Inc., where we develop cloud-based, specialty-specific software solutions to drive clinical and operational efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and reduce physician burnout.
How has your work changed in the face of COVID-19?
Because most of the surgery we perform is considered elective, the majority of orthopedic surgeons were sidelined when the pandemic hit in March 2020. It was a challenging time for independent practices, but certainly no comparison to what those in emergency medicine and critical care faced. For the 6 weeks when I couldn’t operate, I was wholly devoted to helping Modernizing Medicine develop telehealth and virtual care solutions so that our clients could keep “seeing” patients (and therefore remain solvent). Giving patients access to their physicians from afar also helped avoid the morbidity associated with putting off care.
How did being a Princeton student-athlete prepare you for the challenges you’ve faced?
Clinical medicine is very much like athletics: the highs make you feel on top of the world, and the lows are painful to endure. Princeton Athletics cultivated discipline, resiliency, and the pursuit of greatness.
What keeps you inspired as you look ahead?
There is so much room for improvement in our healthcare system, including cost containment, improved patient experience and outcomes, and addressing physician morale. I see this as one of the great challenges and opportunities of our lifetime. I am fortunate to be able to keep delivering individual care to patients, and concomitantly be part of a forward thinking company that is effecting positive change on a larger scale.
Medical School / Other Affiliations
University of Florida College of Medicine
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
