HealthFirst Family Care Center welcomes new medical director

FRANKLIN — HealthFirst Family Care Center welcomes Michael Watto, DO, MPH, to its health care team serving as the new medical director. He will be providing primary and osteopathic care to patients in both the Laconia and Franklin HealthFirst locations.

Dr. Watto has an extensive medical and military background. Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, he completed his residency training at Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia. Dr. Watto completed his medical education at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, where he received his DO degree in Osteopathic Medicine. He has also earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. 

Michael and his family have lived in central NH for nearly a decade where he has worked at Speare Primary Care in Plymouth since 2015 specializing in family medicine. He has held the position of medical staff president at Speare Memorial Hospital as well as director of health services at Plymouth State University. Dr. Watto was recently honored as a “Top Doctor 2022” by New Hampshire Magazine. 

Russ Keene, chief executive officer stated, “We are incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Watto join our HealthFirst team of providers. The addition of having him as part of our primary care team and bringing him on as our new medical director will provide an increase in access to primary and osteopathic care for patients, but his medical directorship will help to strengthen and support our entire health care team. Dr. Watto is going to be an incredible asset to our practice.”

Dr. Watto will begin seeing patients in February 2023 and will have hours at both HealthFirst’s Franklin and Laconia offices.