The Idaho WWAMI community celebrates Dr. Joey Florence, MD, who has been elected as the Idaho Medical Association (IMA) Young Physicians Representative. In this two-year role, she will serve on the IMA Board of Trustees and represent Idaho in the American Medical Association’s Young Physician Section, helping elevate the voice of the state’s next generation of physicians in healthcare policy and advocacy.
A familiar face at Idaho WWAMI and Full Circle Health, Dr. Florence brings passion and perspective to her new leadership role. Upon learning of her election, she said she was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.
“Foremost was a deep sense of excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to serve alongside our state’s leaders in medicine — to learn from them, to grow with them, and to contribute meaningfully to our shared mission,” she said. “It is an extraordinary privilege to have a platform from which to share my passions and ideas with colleagues across the state and the nation.”
She also acknowledges the responsibility the position carries.
“We find ourselves in profoundly polarized times, when compassionate, intelligent individuals, each shaped by their unique lived experiences, can find themselves divided on critical issues,” Dr. Florence said. “The challenges facing the medical community are complex and highly consequential, and I care deeply about many of them.”
Currently serving as educational faculty with Full Circle Health, Dr. Florence said her first months on the board will be spent in “sponge mode”— listening, learning, and understanding the policy environment. She intends to engage thoughtfully in discussions to gain a deeper understanding of the current landscape.
“I want to hear from those who share my perspectives and, even more importantly, from those who see things differently,” Dr. Florence said.
She highlighted priorities including medical education, cost of training, and family planning, as well as ways to improve healthcare access, delivery, and technology.
Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Dr. Florence earned her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science and Health at the University of Idaho before becoming a TRUST scholar through Idaho WWAMI. She trained in Hailey with Dr. Frank Batcha, her longtime mentor and role model.
“Dr. Batcha has been an incredible mentor for me,” she said. “I followed in his footsteps pursuing family medicine training at Family Medicine Residency of Idaho (now Full Circle Health) for my family medicine residency and my sports medicine fellowship.”
She continues to emulate his path by serving as the Young Physicians Section Representative on the IMA Board of Trustees. She also credits Dr. Mary Barinaga and Dr. Julie Lyons as influential mentors, describing Idaho WWAMI as “deeply impactful” for connecting her with physicians who guided her throughout her training and early career.
Dr. Florence looks forward to her work on the IMA Board of Trustees and to serving as a resource for the WWAMI community.
She welcomes your thoughts on healthcare and policy. She can be reached at: JoeyFlorence@fullcircleidaho.org.
Learn more about Idaho WWAMI.