Dr Denise Vera is a first year General Surgery Resident at HCA Florida Orange Park. She is a graduate of the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. She is originally from a small rural Texas town on the US/Mexico Border. Previous to her career as a physician, Dr. Vera was a General and Vascular Surgery Physician Assistant in her hometown. Under the mentorship of three skillful surgeons , she learned to navigate the unique challenges of practicing in the surgical setting in a rural community. During this time, she realized the dire need for well-trained wound care clinicians and embarked on a journey to learn from her peers, receive continuing education, and eventually became the first midlevel provider in her community to be a Certified Wound Specialist with the American Board of Wound Management, a certification she continues to hold. Dr. Vera recently moved to Jacksonville Florida to complete her surgical training.

Dr. Vera is an active member of the American College of Surgeons, the Latino Surgical Society (LSS), and the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS). She is a member of the Diversity, Leadership and Professional Development (DLPD) and Community Practice Committees of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).

Dr. Vera aspires to serve rural communities and create meaningful change to increase access to healthcare. She is interested in surgical oncology and hepatobiliary surgery. She has a particular interest in DEI, Latinx health, wound healing, and minimally invasive surgery.