Sparks Regional adds another surgeon to the center

Dr. Daniel Mwanza has been hired by Sparks Regional Medical Center to be a general surgeon at Surgical Associates of Fort Smith and Sparks Regional Medical Center.

Mwanz, who grew up in the African country of Zambia, met Dr. Rowland Vernon Jr., while Vernon was performing with a traveling ‘a capella’ group in the early 90’s.

“There was no stopping my desire to become a surgeon like him,” Mwanza said. “He was my inspiration.”

Vernon welcomed Mwanza into his family and he began his education at what was then WestArk College in Fort Smith before attending Hendrix College in Conway where he received his bachelor’s degree. Mwanza then earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in 2006. He was also fellowship trained in minimally invasive, laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

Mwanza is married with one daughter. He met his wife, Maya, in college.