Chief Medical Officer Joseph Aquilina, MD, MBA, joined DAP Health in March of 2024. A retired Navy captain, he brings more than three decades of leadership in family medicine and primary care to the nonprofit.

“DAP Health is really a mission-forward organization, which is what attracted me to it,” he says. “Having had a career in the military, having this mission-centered approach for why you get out of bed in the morning was very familiar to me.”

In addition to providing the best possible care for those who need it most, Dr. Aquilina also wants to make sure to attract and retain top talent. “I want to not only make it easier for our clinicians to do more for their patients,” he says, “but do more to reduce physician burnout, and increase satisfaction, so that they can enjoy a long, mutually rewarding career with us.”

Dr. Aquilina has previously served as president of BTHealth Medical Group, chief medical officer of SharpCare Medical Group, medical director of U.S. Health Works, director and vice president for outpatient health clinics at San Diego’s Naval Medical Center, and center director of the Medical Clinic Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar.

He has also served as chair of the Bureau of Medicine Primary Care Advisory Board, and as the co-founder and head of business strategy at software company I-Chart. He earned an MBA from UC San Diego and a Doctor of Medicine from Loyola University. He’s board-certified by the American Academy of Family Medicine and holds licensure in California.

Actively engaged in professional organizations like the American Academy of Family Medicine Physicians, Dr. Aquilina’s visionary leadership and commitment to excellence continue to shape primary care and population health initiatives, leaving a lasting impact.

Dr. Aquilina lives in San Diego and is based at DAP Health Escondido, but travels to all locations served by the organization.