John Benedict Abano MD FAWM, CIME

Summary

• Dr. John Benedict Abaño brings a rare combination of comprehensive medical expertise and real-world problem-solving to occupational medicine. With experience spanning occupational medicine, family practice, hospital medicine, and wilderness environments, he understands that injured workers aren’t just cases—they’re people who need to get back to their lives and livelihoods safely and efficiently.
  
  Board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners, Dr. Abaño has practiced medicine across virtually every healthcare setting. From serving as Chief Resident at Texas Tech University to providing frontier medical care as a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, he’s developed an instinct for direct, no-nonsense medicine that cuts through bureaucratic delays. His research background in cardiothoracic surgery and transplant medicine at UNC Chapel Hill adds scientific rigor to his clinical decision-making, while his decade of primary care experience keeps him grounded in what matters most: getting patients well.
  
  Dr. Abaño’s philosophy is simple: workers’ compensation shouldn’t mean workers waiting. He specializes in eliminating the administrative bottlenecks that delay care and recovery, working as an advocate for both injured employees and their employers to navigate the complexities of occupational health claims. Whether it’s a workplace injury, independent medical examination, or return-to-work evaluation, his focus remains constant—achieving maximum medical improvement with minimal delay. He understands that every day an employee is unable to work impacts both the individual’s well-being and the employer’s operations.
  
  By bringing Work Well Clinics expertise directly to underserved areas in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Abaño solves the access problem that forces workers and employers to travel hours for specialized care.