Atlanta, Georgia, USA: The Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia (USG) has selected Indian-origin physician Dr. Deep Shah to serve as its vice chair for the year 2026. Shah, who became an at-large member of the board in 2024, will assume his new responsibilities on January 1, 2026, for a one-year term.
Dr. Shah currently practices primary care and holds the position of chief operating officer at Gwinnett Clinic, a major independent multi-speciality medical group serving northeast Atlanta. Expressing gratitude for the opportunity, he described the appointment as an honour and said he is eager to contribute to strengthening Georgia’s workforce and communities through higher education, working alongside incoming chair David B. Dove.
USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue acknowledged the contributions of outgoing chair T. Dallas Smith, adding that he looks forward to continuing the system’s progress under the leadership of Dove and Shah.
Widely recognised for his contributions to healthcare operations and medical finance, Dr Shah has earned distinctions such as Top Doctor rankings from Georgia Trend and Castle Connolly. His recent work includes negotiating contracts for independent medical groups, advancing health IT systems, and overseeing medical real estate projects.
He has written opinion pieces for leading medical publications, including the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, and advocates for community-focused primary care at both state and national levels. Shah also serves on the board of Touchmark National Bank and previously held a board role at Augusta University Health System. His leadership has earned honours such as the Alpha Omega Alpha Fellowship.
A Georgia native, Dr Shah completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia, graduating with highest honours as a Foundation Fellow. He later earned a master’s degree in social policy from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, followed by his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He trained in internal medicine at Emory University, where he now teaches as an adjunct assistant professor.
