Joseph R. Smith, MD, MPH

Dr. Smith is a Marine combat veteran who served in Vietnam when he was 18 years old. His experiences there motivated him to pursue a career in medicine that has spanned nearly 50 years. He still travels to Southeast Asia regularly to do volunteer medical work.
As a board certified occupational medicine physician, he says, “I put the health care needs of my patient first.” At the same time, he also considers the employer's needs and the impact of the worker's absence from the workforce. “It can be a delicate balance,” he says, “but when possible, I make every effort to get people back to some form of work duty that will not only protect their health, safety and progress, but also aid in their recovery.”
Dr. Smith earned both his bachelor’s degree and his medical degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and completed his internship at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia. He also has additional training in global medicine.
Although he was born in Pennsylvania, Dr. Smith’s family is mostly French, and he hopes to move back to France after he retires. A lifelong comic book fan, he believes that “the only real Captain Marvel is Billy Batson.” His personal motto is: “Be kind.”