Josh Turner, PA
After completing his Physician Assistant training at Duke University, Josh practiced as a PA in Orthopedics for two years before transitioning to Internal Medicine at Duke Primary Care. His decision to specialize in Internal Medicine was inspired by his earlier experiences as a Health Coach at Wise Patient, and his passion for Primary Care. Josh and his wife, Nicole, a marriage and family therapist, and their two daughters, Sofia and Nora, are excited to return to Seattle, which they have long considered home. Josh’s goal at Wise Patient is to build a primary care practice with an added feature of optimizing musculoskeletal health for aging athletes and people living with chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
My purpose
My entry into medicine was atypical. Following my undergraduate education, I entered the Navy as a shipboard officer through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). I recount my time in the Navy as being formative and structured. I learned the importance of grit, dependability, and accountability. But more importantly, I came to understand the value of service to a purpose greater than myself. In the military, of course, this meant service to the Navy, to the country, and to my fellow servicemembers. So, when I decided to leave the military, this service principle remained at the forefront of my mind and naturally drew me to medicine.
My clinical career began here at Wise Patient as a Health Coach. I am lucky enough to have had that front row seat to what many would consider an aspirational model for practicing medicine. The Wise Patient providers became clinical role models to me; practitioners who live what they preach, and make every effort to partner with patients in their health journeys. I took these lessons to heart, and as a clinician I have done my level best to integrate them into my own clinical practice.
My provider career began in Orthopedics at WakeMed in Raleigh, NC. My role ranged from treating sports injuries and chronic joint pain to acute fractures and Orthopedic trauma management. While I immensely enjoyed the satisfaction of reducing a fracture to anatomical alignment or stabilizing a traumatic injury, I also deeply yearned for the ability to follow my patients longitudinally, something that was at odds with working in a subspecialty role. This led me to seek a role in Primary Care Internal Medicine at Duke University.
In my Internal Medicine position at Duke, I relished the ability to develop meaningful partnerships with my patients over time. Many of my patients were confronted with various barriers to achieving their health goals. In these interactions, I developed a keen awareness of the impact that good quality primary care can have on the overall health of a patient: having someone who can go-to-bat for them, collaborate with their specialists, and who can assist in navigating our complex healthcare system. Over time, however, I learned the limits of what I was able to provide to my patients within time-compressed encounters. Concurrently, my wife and I were longing to reconnect with Washington, our love for skiing, trail running, and all things PNW.
I am deeply humbled to have been asked to re-join Wise Patient, this time as a provider. I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to practice medicine in a manner that is at first patient-centered. I already feel refreshingly untethered from strict time limitations and patient volume metrics that drive the vast majority of large clinic networks. I look forward to partnering with you in your health journey, meeting you where you’re at, and advocating for you along the way.
Josh Turner, PA, is currently accepting new patients. To join, please enter your contact information here, write to us at waitlist@wisepatientim.com, or call us at (206) 466-5937.