Joshua Hockaday, PA-C, is a physician assistant with the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He provides perioperative care for patients with head and neck cancer, facial trauma, and complex reconstructive needs. He also leads projects that improve access, communication, and continuity across the care continuum. His work has earned recognition, including Best Poster at the JPS 2024 Trauma Symposium and the hospital’s Excellence Award for collegial teamwork.

Joshua has presented nationally at AAPA 2025 on improving outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer and serves as a peer reviewer for JAAPA. He is co-first author of a recent JAAPA article on diagnosing and managing dental pain, work that helps bridge primary care and oral surgery.

As an educator and mentor, he works with oral and maxillofacial surgery interns, Navy residents, and former Maxillofacial Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery (MORS) fellows to advance patient-centered, team-based care. Patients and colleagues describe him as calm, clear, and compassionate, qualities he credits to the mentorship and collaboration of Drs. Roderick Kim, Fayette Williams, Raymond Shupak, Herman Kao, and John Stella, and to the former MORS fellows whose shared commitment guides their approach to care.