Influential Woman · Healthcare / Medical Practice
Sarah Bonza
Founder and Physician, Bonza Health; Board-Certified Family Physician and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, Bonza Health
Columbus, OH
Her Story
About Sarah
Dr. Sarah Bonza, MD, MPH, FAAFP, MSCP, DipABLM, HMDC, NBC-HWC, is a board-certified family physician, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and founder of Bonza Health. With more than 20 years of medical experience, including hospital medicine and hospice care, she has dedicated her practice to helping women navigate perimenopause and midlife health through comprehensive, individualized care. Her own experience with perimenopause, combined with what she witnessed in patients, inspired her to pursue advanced training in lifestyle, functional, wellness, and menopause medicine.
Dr. Bonza built Bonza Health while working full-time in the hospital, completing additional training at night and developing her practice on her days off. Her entrepreneurial journey included significant financial and professional setbacks, which ultimately taught her to simplify her approach and focus on what matters most: listening closely to each patient and providing thoughtful, evidence-informed care. She credits honest work, perseverance, continuous learning, and a commitment to kindness as central to her personal and professional growth. Her work has also earned media recognition from outlets including BBC, HuffPost, Yahoo News, Healthline, and Medical News Today.
Today, Dr. Bonza is focused on protecting women's long-term healthspan while helping patients regain energy, confidence, and vitality during midlife. She is writing a book on perimenopause for high-achieving, over-functioning women and hopes to develop resources that make practical women's health information more accessible. She also envisions creating a model and educational resources for physicians interested in building longevity-focused practices. At the heart of her work is a simple philosophy: lead with kindness, keep learning, serve patients well, and continue moving forward.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to perseverance, continuous learning, and staying focused on the people I serve. I have learned that simple, honest work is often more powerful than following someone else’s formula. By listening closely to my patients, learning from my own experiences, and continuing to adapt, I have been able to build a practice that reflects my values and genuinely helps women improve their health and quality of life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve learned is to keep moving forward, even when the path is difficult. I believe in getting comfortable with trying, failing, learning from setbacks, and starting again. “Rest if you must, but don’t quit” captures the mindset that has carried me through the most challenging parts of my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women entering medicine to stay curious, trust their own voice, and never stop learning. Medicine is changing rapidly, so it is important to build skills beyond clinical training, including finance, business, marketing, and technology. Most importantly, stay true to your values, be willing to learn from failure, and focus on doing excellent work for the people you serve.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in women’s health is the growing recognition that perimenopause and menopause require comprehensive, individualized care rather than simply treating isolated symptoms. I’m also paying close attention to advances in artificial intelligence and emerging treatments such as peptides. AI is already helping practices work more efficiently, while new therapies may offer potential benefits, but they need to be evaluated carefully through strong clinical evidence before becoming part of routine patient care.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Kindness, honesty, perseverance, and service are the values that matter most to me. I want kindness to guide how I care for my patients, lead my team, and approach the people around me. I also value integrity and continuous learning, because doing meaningful work requires listening, staying curious, and being willing to grow. Above all, I believe in treating people with compassion and continuing to move forward, even when the path is difficult.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.