Joshua Natbony, MD

Dr. Joshua Natbony is a palliative care and pain medicine specialist whose focus is children experiencing serious illnesses. With the goal of improving quality of life for both kids and their families, he works to manage distressing symptoms; support decision-making around medical care; and tend to the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of being or having a sick child. He treats patients in the hospital as well as the clinic.

Natbony uses a range of approaches, including medication, to enhance his patients' well-being. He is passionate about narrative medicine, which uses storytelling to help patients and providers understand and navigate their unique experiences of an illness. Through his training in pediatric clinical hypnosis, he helps children draw on their powers of imagination and creativity to decrease their pain, anxiety and other symptoms. He enjoys caring for patients from different backgrounds and has a particular interest in global health. He is also a medical educator who trains residents and fellows at UCSF.

Natbony earned his medical degree from Hofstra University. He completed a residency in general pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and a fellowship in pediatric hospice and palliative medicine at the University of Minnesota. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Outside of work, Natbony loves to read, write and travel to interesting places. He hikes, surfs and has even climbed a mountain or two. He lives in Oakland with his wife, Susanne, and their rambunctious dog, Bella.