Employer Health Solutions Team

Karen Winford is the regional director of operations for FirstHealth Convenient Care and Occupational Medicine. Karen brings nearly 23 years of health care administration experience in urgent care, occupational medicine and family medicine to her role at FirstHealth.  She earned an associate degree from Robeson Community College and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Columbia Southern University.  She is currently working toward her master's degree in business administration. In her free time, Karen enjoys playing golf and supporting her husband's nonprofit organization, which provides aid to under-resourced children in Hoke County.

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Nathaniel earned his Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Family Practice from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. He is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a family nurse practitioner. Additionally, Nathaniel is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Department of Transportation certified medical examiner and certified occupational hearing conservationist. He is certified in spirometry testing by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Nathaniel has experience in family practice, urgent care, neurosurgery, telemedicine and occupational health and wellness. He enjoys occupational and industrial practice with a special emphasis on wellness and preventive care.

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Since October 2022 Josh Barnes has served as the Director, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships for FirstHealth. In this capacity he assists in developing the innovation strategy for FirstHealth and expanding our relationships with key innovators and employers in our market to help achieve the strategic vision for FirstHealth.

Before accepting this position, Josh served as client services manager for FirstHealth for two years, increasing employer access to health care services. Prior to that, he worked for two years with FirstHealth’s worksite wellness program. Josh was responsible for the program’s launch and set up annual biometric screenings, flu shots and other onsite services for local employers.

In addition, Josh was instrumental in integrating occupational health services within select FirstHealth Convenient Care Clinics. He worked with clients across our service area to set up occupational health and other employer services and has functioned as a navigator to help employers find the right health care resources for their employees. Josh is a 2018 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2023.

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