Sara Garza, MD, FAAP, LSSYB

Physician Well-being Advocate

Cook Children’s Physician Network

[email protected]

Dr. Sara Garza is a general pediatrician whose love for the relationships at the heart of primary care and the opportunity to care for the whole child and family ultimately led her to a second calling: advancing physician well-being.

Dr. Garza’s professional story is deeply influenced by her personal one. Growing up as a second-generation Cambodian American in a diverse cultural environment, she developed the grit and resilience that sustained her through years of medical training, two decades of clinical practice, and seasons of growth and loss within her own family. Yet resilience alone was not enough to protect her from physician burnout. Experiencing burnout firsthand deepened her understanding that physician well-being cannot rest solely on individual resilience and helped shape her commitment to improving the systems and environments in which physicians work.

In 2022, responding to both a personal and professional call to action, Dr. Garza stepped into the role of Physician Well-being Advocate for the Cook Children's Physician Network. Her work now focuses on advancing a systems-based approach to physician well-being, including organizational strategy, measurement, culture, and improvement efforts designed to address the conditions in which physicians practice. She is committed to creating environments in which physicians can thrive while providing exceptional care for their patients and families.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Garza is the proud mother of four children, including triplets. Her experiences navigating the intersection of career, family, and personal adversity continue to shape her passion for physician well-being and her belief that meaningful connection is essential to thriving. She values community, including her many years with the Cook Children's Commensality Bookworms group, and enjoys traveling with her extended family in pursuit of shared adventures and bucket-list destinations.

Dr. Garza received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. She earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency training at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. She is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the TCU Burnett School of Medicine in Fort Worth.