General Internal Medicine Welcomes New APCs
Zahra Dabandi, MSN
Zahra was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She earned her BSN and became a registered nurse there, working briefly in the ED before moving to the United States in 2014. Upon arrival, she dedicated herself to learning English and navigating the process of transferring her nursing license, a task that took several years. During that time, she worked as a medical assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital. After obtaining her RN license in the U.S., she joined the University of Texas Neurocognitive Disorders Center, where she contributed to research focused on Alzheimer’s disease. She also began her nurse practitioner program at UT. Her first role as an NP was in IM, inpatient rehabilitation in Austin, Texas. Outside of work, Zahra enjoys cooking, traveling, and, most of all, spending quality time with her son, William.
Merica Chapple, FNP-C RN
Merica grew up in Fairfax Station, Virginia. At 18, she moved to Utah to attend BYU, where she played softball and earned her first bachelor’s degree in Geography with an emphasis in Travel and Tourism. It was at BYU that she met her husband, Kevin. Together, they have four children and recently welcomed their first grandchild—a baby girl. Merica spent 12 years working in real estate before making a major career shift into medicine. In 2013, she returned to school to pursue a lifelong dream of studying medicine and becoming a nurse. She earned her second bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Utah and went on to work for nearly a decade as a trauma nurse leader in the Emergency Department. In 2021, she returned to the University of Utah once again—this time to earn her Doctorate in Nursing. In her free time, Merica loves adventuring with her husband and kids. Whether it’s hiking, biking, running, racing, or traveling the world, her main goal is always the same: to create meaningful memories together.m.
Benjamin Marett, PA-C
Ben Marett was born and raised in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He earned his A.A.S. in Radiography from A-B Tech in 2019, where he also met his wife, Hailey, and completed his bachelor’s in radiologic sciences from ETSU in 2021. In 2022, Ben worked as a traveling x-ray tech at Primary Children’s Hospital, where he and Hailey fell in love with Salt Lake City and its community. He later returned to North Carolina to earn his MHSPAS from South College in Asheville. Outside of work, Ben enjoys golfing, hiking, biking, and visiting national parks with Hailey and their two dachshunds, Toby and Charlie.
Richard Scott, PA-C
Rich was born and raised in a small town outside of Spokane, WA. He joined the Air Force after graduating from high school, where he served as an aircraft mechanic for 12 years. His last stop on active duty brought him to Hill AFB, and he decided to stay in Utah. He attended Weber State University, where he majored in Medical Laboratory Science, before attending PA school in Kansas at Wichita State University. He has experience in family practice/urgent care, cardiology, and thoracic surgery. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, rassling with his dogs, fro-yo with his daughter, and annoying his wife.
