When you join Oklahoma Pain Management, you're not just joining a practice – you're joining an elite performance team where every member, from the 18-year-old medical assistant to the founding physicians, operates with the precision and dedication of professional athletes. Dr. Wright's philosophy permeates every interaction: this isn't a family where underperformers are tolerated out of loyalty; it's a championship team where excellence is expected, supported, and rewarded. The culture here mirrors Michael Jordan's Bulls – everyone pushes themselves and each other to maintain their position as the undisputed leaders in efficient pain management.
Dr. Garrett Wright, MD – The visionary architect of the practice's revolutionary model, Dr. Wright brings credentials that immediately command respect. A former standout baseball player from Shawnee who traded his major league aspirations for medicine, he scored in the 99th percentile on his board examinations and trained at Baylor Scott & White, one of the nation's most competitive fellowship programs. Since joining in 2016 and becoming the youngest physician in the country certified for DRG stimulation, he's transformed from practitioner to innovator, traveling nationally to speak at conferences while hosting physicians who journey to Oklahoma to witness the impossible. His recent appointment as Medical Director for Acute and Chronic Pain at Integris Health System reflects his stature in the field. Patients describe him as compassionate yet efficient, someone who remembers their names while maintaining the pace that defines the practice.
Dr. Justin Porter, MD – The co-founder who helped establish this empire in 2013, Dr. Porter represents the perfect complement to Dr. Wright's intensity. A Norman native who captained Davidson College’s soccer team to a conference championship before graduating near the top of his medical school class at OU, he completed his training at Wake Forest University and Carolinas Pain Institute. His 12-year tenure has built a following of fiercely loyal patients, particularly elderly women who schedule specifically with him. While maintaining the same exceptional volumes as Dr. Wright, Dr. Porter brings a slightly different energy – described by staff as methodical where Dr. Wright is explosive, both achieving the same remarkable outcomes through their unique styles. His additional focus on motor vehicle accident cases and third-party liability work has created another revenue stream while maintaining his leadership roles as a board member of the Oklahoma Pain Society.
Two Nurse Practitioners – Courtney and Becca represent the evolution of mid-level practice in pain management. These aren't typical NPs relegated to medication refills – they're trained to think like interventional pain physicians, presenting cases with proposed treatment plans that require only verification before execution. Courtney, hired in August 2023, quickly mastered the art of managing full patient schedules while maintaining the practice's efficiency standards. Becca, approaching her sixth year, started as a rotation student who never left, evolving from part-time medication management to full-time clinical excellence. Together, they see over 100 patients daily, handling everything from initial evaluations to routine follow-ups, freeing the physicians for pure procedural work.
The medical assistant team represents the practice's secret weapon – 23 highly trained professionals who function more like physician extenders than traditional MAs. Through an intensive training program that compressed years of passive learning into months of active development, 17 of these team members can operate at all three levels of practice support: nurse station duties, procedure room management, and patient triage. The newest additions, including an 18-year-old fresh from high school, reached full proficiency in just four months – a timeline other practices declare impossible. Their average tenure of 10 years speaks to both the culture and compensation that rewards excellence.
Katie, Practice Manager – With 18 years at the practice, Katie has witnessed and orchestrated every evolution from paper charts to digital excellence. She manages the clinical operations with the precision of an air traffic controller, ensuring that 800+ weekly patient encounters flow seamlessly across five locations. Her institutional knowledge proves invaluable for new physicians learning to navigate the practice's unique rhythms.
Lauren, Business Development – Hired to manage the explosion of referrals that threatened to overwhelm capacity, Lauren maintains relationships with referring physicians across multiple health systems. Her role has evolved from traditional marketing to traffic management, recently establishing a position to redirect overflow referrals to competitors when the practice reaches capacity – a problem most practices dream of having.
Administrative Excellence – The back-office team includes dedicated billing specialists led by Christie (13 years), who has customized eClinical Works templates to eliminate documentation burden; Trish (17 years) managing accounts receivable and payroll with institutional precision; Kim orchestrating surgery scheduling with relationships spanning decades; and a pre-certification team that ensures same-day treatment approval. Their collective experience – most exceeding a decade – creates an administrative foundation that simply doesn't fail.
What makes this team extraordinary isn't just their technical skills – it's their shared mindset. The practice has successfully created what business schools study but rarely achieve: a self-regulating culture of excellence. Staff members hold each other accountable through GroupMe notifications for call-ins, creating peer pressure that maintains reliability. The hiring process explicitly states these expectations, attracting only those who view challenge as opportunity. Recent examples include two former employees who left for other opportunities, only to request return positions when they realized what they'd lost.
The compensation philosophy reflects performance – the practice pays above market rates but expects above-market performance. There's no seniority-based advancement here; a high performer can become charge nurse in three months if they demonstrate capability. This meritocracy attracts those who chafe at traditional healthcare hierarchies, creating a team of self-starters who push boundaries rather than accept limitations.
As the new physician, you won't struggle to find your place in this ecosystem – your place is already defined and waiting. The team expects excellence and has structured everything to enable it. Your medical assistants will capture clinical information with the thoroughness of residents, your mid-levels will present cases with proposed treatment plans requiring only your verification, and your procedure room staff will have everything prepared before you enter. The notorious skepticism healthcare teams show toward new physicians doesn't exist here; they're eager for additional capacity to handle the overflow they currently redirect to competitors.
Despite the high-performance culture, or perhaps because of it, turnover remains remarkably low. Staff departures typically occur only during the 90-day probation period when new hires realize they can't meet expectations. Those who survive this crucible tend to stay for careers – the practice has multiple employees celebrating decades of service. Even physicians who ultimately chose different paths, like Dr. Woolard who left for hospital employment, maintain cordial relationships and continue referring patients, acknowledging the excellence even if they couldn't maintain the pace.
This team doesn't just support your practice – they amplify it, creating an environment where seeing 80 patients daily feels sustainable rather than overwhelming because everyone around you operates at the same exceptional level.