2026 Physician of the Year Announcement

Contact: Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce
Name: Arianna Daniels, Events Director
Phone: 479-783-3111
Email: adaniels@fortsmithchamber.com
Website: http://www.fortsmithchamber.org/
 
For Immediate Release

Fort Smith Chamber Announces the Physician of the Year Award
Fort Smith, Arkansas, September 4, 2026 — Each year, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce strives to show its appreciation for the importance of healthcare to the quality of life and economic strength of the area. During the month of September, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber’s Healthcare Celebration will welcome Chamber members and its community partners to highlight the significance of our regional healthcare systems, healthcare workers, and new practitioners. This tribute to our local healthcare industry includes a “Physician of the Year” selected by the Chamber’s Healthcare Committee.

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce Physician of the Year Award recognizes a local healthcare physician (currently practicing or retired) who has made significant contributions to healthcare in our region by demonstrating excellence in areas of (but not limited to) quality, service, people, finance, growth, and community. Past recipients include Dr. Andre’ Nolewajka (2025), Dr. David Hunton (2024), Dr. Larry Price (2023), Dr. Timothy Waack (2022), Dr. Leslie Ziegler (2021), Dr. Lee Johnson (2020), etc.

The Fort Smith Chamber and representatives of the Healthcare Committee are honored to announce the 2026 Physician of the Year honoree, Dr. Justin Voris. On Friday, September 4th. Dr. Voris was presented with a certificate acknowledging his selection.

A fixture in Fort Smith, Arkansas since 2012, Dr. Voris was trained and is board certified in the specialty of Family Medicine, covering lives from birth until the end. Before a medical career, he met his wife while in college at Ouachita Baptist University, graduating in 2004. He earned a subsequent degree in Medical Technology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2006. Following a short working career in laboratory science, they moved to the island of Dominica to attend medical school at Ross University School of Medicine. He trained on the island, then across the country, and upon graduation in 2012, he started Family Medicine residency in Fort Smith at UAMS West (formerly AHEC). He has practiced full spectrum Family Medicine in Fort Smith since graduating from residency in 2015. He was the 25-26' President of the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians and served as Chairman on the Fort Smith Airport Commission during the same period. In 2026, he was invited to be on the Zion Healthshare national board. Dr. Voris and his wife Elizabeth have three children – Rebekah, Coleman, and Abigail.
 
A quote from his nomination reads, “Dr. Justin Voris fulfills each of the criteria for the Physician of the Year at the highest level. His career reflects a rare combination of clinical skill, compassionate care, professional achievement, and civic responsibility. He has become a trusted physician, an influential voice for healthcare in Arkansas, and a valued leader within the Fort Smith community.”
 
It is with this strong leadership and positive impact on the Healthcare Industry and the lives of the residents in the Fort Smith Region that Dr. Justin Voris was selected as the 2026 Physician of the Year Award recipient. The Fort Smith Chamber looks forward to celebrating Dr. Voris and our important healthcare community at the 2026 Healthcare Reception.
 
Healthcare Reception: Thursday, September 17, 2026, 6:00pm-8:00pm | United States Marshals Museum, 789 Riverfront Drive, Fort Smith, AR 72901 - Tickets can be found at www.FortSmithChamber.org