Remembering Dr. Tony Vuturo, public health advocate for Arizona and beyond
Dr. Anthony “Tony” Vuturo, beloved physician and public health champion, a Professor Emeritus from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and an early advocate for public health in Arizona, passed away in February 2026. Photo: Dr. Vuturo with Dean Iman Hakim, Zuckerman College of Public Health.
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Anthony “Tony” Vuturo, MD, MPH, beloved physician and public health champion, a professor emeritus from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and an early advocate for public health in Arizona, passed away in February 2026.
A graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University, Tony championed access to health care for underserved communities through the development of distance learning and telemedicine programs at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, in his work with the Tucson Community Foundation, and through the establishment of El Rio neighborhood clinics. Internationally, he helped develop and guide medical schools and academic centers across the Middle East, Taiwan, and China, including the founding of the Nanjing American University in China.
An entrepreneur at heart and a visionary fundraiser, Dr. Vuturo built the partnerships to make bold ideas for healthcare real. He co-founded University Family-Care, a federally qualified HMO, and Medicare-approved coordinated home health care programs. He played a pivotal role in conceiving, planning, and launching a graduate program in public health (MPH) at the University of Arizona, which in 2000 became the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health—fulfilling a critical educational need in the Southwest.
Upon retiring as Professor Emeritus from the University of Arizona in 1996, Tony brought his expertise to the private sector as Senior Vice President of Canyon Ranch. There, he oversaw new project development, philanthropy, and partnerships with leading medical research centers and universities nationwide, continuing his lifelong mission to promote wellness in innovative ways. He also served as President of VSF International, advising governments around the world on health system development.
In 2021 Tony and Joan established the Tony and Joan Vuturo Scholarship in the Zuckerman College of Public Health, given annually to a graduate student who demonstrates a commitment to public health service and leadership.
Tony made the world a better place through his dedication to public health and accessible healthcare. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend. He prioritized his wife Joan and his family in everything he did.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Tucson, Arizona—the community he loved and served with distinction—on Monday May 25th at 10:30 am at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the University of Arizona, Zuckerman College of Public Health Tony and Joan Vuturo scholarship fund through the University of Arizona Foundation, or to a charity of your choice.
Read the full obituary for Dr. Vuturo: www.relyeafuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Anthony-Francis-Vuturo?obId=47267137