Dr. Ivan Edwards is a renowned physician, ordained minister, USAF Reserve Flight Surgeon, and award-winning author and poet whose work bridges medicine, ministry, and the arts.
Board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, he is a Fellow of the American Academy of PM&R and CEO of Jovana Rehabilitation Medicine & Pain, a San Antonio-based practice focused on inpatient care for trauma, neurological, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Born in Uganda, Dr. Edwards experienced family trauma and loss under oppressive regimes, including the brutal era of Idi Amin and the instability that followed. These early hardships shaped his unwavering commitment to healing, justice, and service.
He began his journey in ministry as an ordained pastor, earning a BA in Pastoral Psychology and Theology. He served as pastor of Healing Springs Church in Uganda and New Hampshire, USA.
After immigrating to the U.S. in 1988, he continued serving communities through outreach and humanitarian initiatives across New England and abroad.
He graduated cum laude from Rivier University in 1999, earned his medical degree from Midwestern University in Arizona (2004), and completed residency training at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. He later received a direct commission into the U.S. military and trained as a flight surgeon at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine.
Now a senior officer, Dr. Edwards serves at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and is recognized as the first Ugandan American Flight Surgeon in U.S. military history.
He previously served as Health and Wellness Physician for the San Antonio Fire Department and sits on multiple board committees with national and international reach.
His humanitarian work spans neurorehabilitation, PTSD, resilience, childhood education, and COVID-19 response. He has also served as a medical expert in legal cases involving trauma and rehabilitation.
Dr. Edwards is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and holds memberships in the Aerospace Medical Association, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Society of USAF Flight Surgeons.
He is also a commissioned Kentucky Colonel—Kentucky’s highest civilian honor—for outstanding service to community and nation.
Beyond medicine, Dr. Edwards is celebrated for his emotionally evocative poetry and prose, which explore healing, legacy, and the human condition. His anthology, Resonance of the Soul - Flowers and Harmonics, received the Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
As a gifted public speaker, he has traveled extensively, delivering talks on health, resilience, and personal growth—always with a message of hope, transformation, and grace.
Whether in exam rooms, pulpits, or on global stages, Dr. Edwards continues to champion healing, legacy, and the sacred power of transformation.
