Vicki Copeland, MD
Division of Developmental Disabilities
Dr. Copeland is the Medical Management Medical Director for DDD. She is board certified in family medicine and a fellow of the American Board of Family Physicians. She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Copeland grew up in the northwest Valley and went to the University of Arizona for her undergraduate degree in microbiology. She received her medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA and completed her family medicine internship and residency at Banner University Medical Center-Phoenix. She was in private practice for many years in southwest Phoenix in an underserved area. She eventually sold her practice to a large health system and worked for them for a few years before working with a community health center. Dr. Copeland then served three years as the Medical Director for Healthcare for the Homeless while it was under the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Based upon her years of experience, Dr. Copeland understands the importance of having a good support system and social services within the community. As a family physician, Dr. Copeland has always been an advocate of the importance of high-quality healthcare for her patients, including preventive care, regardless of the barriers encountered along the way.
Dr. Copeland is married to Mark, her husband of more than twenty years. They have three teenage sons, two dogs and a cat. As the mother of children with developmental disabilities, she understands the importance of self-advocating and independence, as well as the importance of a strong support system and services. One of her children has cerebral palsy and another is on the autism spectrum. She is very interested in education, accessibility and transitions through life.
Dr. Copeland is excited to work for the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the State of Arizona. She is very interested in making sure that people receive high quality services and are achieving their best potential. She serves on the Board of Ability360 and understands that our society benefits by being more diverse and that services should be more equitable. She enjoys making connections between people and organizations so that they can leverage their strengths. She likes to find solutions and not let things linger unresolved. She believes strongly in prevention but also understands chronic care management. She is a big advocate for integration of all care, since we only have one body that houses our behavioral health and physical health. We need to take care of our whole selves to truly be as healthy as we can.
