Vocational Speaker - Physician Assistant/Associate

Dr. John M. Waite is a licensed and certified physician assistant (PA) practicing urgent care with Kaiser Permanente at the Honolulu Clinic.

John has been in practice for just over 10 years, and though he has worked in urgent care for the last nearly 5 years, he spent his first 6 years in emergency medicine, with 3 of those years also working in ears, nose, throat, and facial plastic surgery. He received his master's in physician assistant practice from the Keck School of Medicine of USC in 2014, and in 2024 earned his doctorate in healthcare leadership from Northeastern University, focused on public health and business management.

A staunch supporter of access to care, John was actively involved in advocacy at the state and federal levels during his school years, working to improve and maintain funding to ensure continued access to women's health. He is currently working with the Hawaii Academy of Physician Assistants and state legislature to advance the profession to provide improved access by modernizing Hawaii healthcare laws.

Beyond healthcare, John is a proud Rotarian of the Hickham Pearl Harbor Club, and he thoroughly enjoys giving back to his community, as he has done since his childhood. And, because he is a firm believer in both education and health literacy, he is currently working on a companion book series for kids and parents focused on improving people's knowledge of basic healthcare principles, with the hope that this will increase patient autonomy and promote patient self-advocacy.