Hari P. Joshi, MD

Philosophy of care

"It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than what sort of a disease a patient has." - William Osler. I love this quote because it summarizes my philosophy of care perfectly. It is important to treat the patient, not the disease, and not the numbers on the monitor. If the disease is not dangerous and does not bother the person, then the person does not necessarily need to be treated. I also believe in involving people in their medical care and their decisions. At the same time, I believe in personal responsibility and expect my patients to do their best with lifestyle choices. I tend to be somewhat conservative and will prefer a non-invasive treatment over a surgical one if there is the luxury of choice. My specialty, however, is surgical or procedure-based, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of complex procedures, especially when I know that patients are going to feel better as a result. When patients come back to office after the procedure and are happy at how much better they feel, the professional satisfaction that gives me cannot be duplicated.

Why I entered medicine

Entering medicine was a somewhat difficult decision for me at the time. I struggled between medicine and engineering as a career choice. Both my parents are physicians and had a big influence on my decision. While they would have supported whatever decision I made, I was most influenced by the positive impact their work had on many of their patients' lives. Having made the decision almost 20 years ago, I do not regret it one bit. More than helping patients for their medical conditions, I enjoy the physician-patient relationship. I am interested in the patient's progress not only with their medical conditions, but their overall lives in general. In just four years of practice, some of my patients have finished and graduated college, others have gotten married - and unfortunately, some have developed dementia and have deteriorated. I try and remember that life does go on for everyone, no matter what happens with their medical conditions.

Community involvement

Being relatively new to the Lehigh Valley, I have not yet had a chance to get involved in community activities. I do intend to in the future. I am an animal lover, and have always supported animal welfare charities - both local and national.

Personal interests

I took up golf when I came to the Lehigh Valley. I love the game, even though I am not very good. The precision and discipline needed is what attracts me to golf. I also enjoy photography because it provides an outlet for my artistic side. I love being outdoors, and prefer outdoor activities any day - whether it is golf, tennis or simply working in the yard.