Michael Painter, M.D., J.D.

Michael W. Painter, J.D., M.D., is the Chief of Medical Staff at the Seattle Indian Health Board, a community health center serving urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. Dr. Painter earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. He also earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stanford Law School and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Washington. He received his residency training at the Providence Family Medicine Residency. He is a board-certified family physician caring for a large panel of underserved patients, many of whom belong to at least one of approximately 200 represented tribes. Dr. Painter leads the clinic’s award-winning diabetes team and has a special interest in chronic disease management and prevention. He has a clinical faculty appointment with the University of Washington, Department of Family Medicine, and he has prepared a course on legal issues in primary care. Dr. Painter is the co-chair for the Washington State Department of Health Collaboration on Adult Preventive Services, helping clinics and medical groups from across the state to integrate evidence-based, high-quality adult preventive services into primary care systems. He is also a medical educator and consultant for the Northwest AIDS Education and Training Center. Dr. Painter is a policy advocate at the national, state, and local levels regarding issues affecting urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Association of American Indian Physicians, and California Bar Association.