Philip Goncalves, PA, MHS, chose the physician assistant (PA) path to combine his passion for helping others with the flexibility to explore various medical specialties. Despite his initial openness to exploring different fields, Goncalves has dedicated his seven-year career as a PA at Zufall Health to primary care. He finds profound fulfillment in this specialty and views it as essential for his patients’ overall health and well-being.

“Primary care is foundational to our patients’ needs,” said Goncalves. “It’s crucial that my patients—many of whom lack health insurance and face other barriers to care—receive high-quality primary care for healthy living.”

Based in Zufall’s Dover headquarters, Goncalves provides comprehensive care to adults of all ages, including screening for conditions such as depression, untreated tooth decay, and cancer. He emphasizes preventive services for early detection and improved health outcomes. In recent years, his focus has extended to treating patients with alcohol and opioid use disorders, offering medication-assisted treatments to normalize brain chemistry and reduce cravings, and integrating behavioral health services into his practice.

“Community health centers like Zufall are built on the belief that everyone deserves equal access to health care,” added Goncalves. “Investing in primary care is essential and provides the best possible use of provider resources for underserved communities like ours.”

Beyond patient care, Goncalves precepts physician assistant and nurse practitioner students, contributing to the next generation of community health care providers. Seeing his former students now employed full-time across the Zufall system is especially meaningful to him and demonstrates the importance of quality and safety in training competent providers.

Goncalves holds a master of health science degree in physician assistant studies from Drexel University and a bachelor of science in nutrition and food science from Montclair State University.