Maria "Marel" Ver, MD FACS

Born in Manila but raised in Hawaii, Maria "Marel" Ver, MD FACS FASMBS is a graduate of Maryknoll Schools in Honolulu, and completed her Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Southern California. After working in a diabetes research lab at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Maryland, she attended medical school at New York Medical College and completed her general surgery residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago Mount Sinai Hospital. She completed her fellowship in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic. She came home to Hawaii to practice in 2014. Dr. Ver joined the established bariatric practice of Dr. Mark Grief at Pali Momi Medical Center, enhancing its services and access to care. This program continues to evolve to meet the needs of the community as the Hawaii Pacific Health 360 Weight Management Center. Dr. Ver is very engaged as a physician holding many leadership positions in the hospital, including (previous) Trauma Medical Director, developing Pali Momi into a Level 3 Trauma Center by 2016. She was a Pacific Business News 40-Under-40 Awardee in 2017. She is a Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH) leadership fellow. She is also on the board of the Hawaii Bariatric Society (HBS). She is a clinical educator for the Department of Surgery at the John A Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Ver is passionate about patient care and performing surgeries but is also highly involved with community outreach. She spends time out of the hospital doing monthly walks with her patients. She is an invited speaker for a variety of topics including medicine and surgery, trauma, obesity, women's empowerment, cultural education, leadership, and mentorship. Dr. Ver was President of the Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii (PMAH) in 2020-2022, an organization that was actively visible during the COVID-19 pandemic and she continues to be on the board of governors. She is a founding member of the nationally recognized FilCom CARES, which provides health outreach and resources to Hawaii's communities. Dr. Ver assumed the the role of Bariatric Medical Director in 2023.