Paul K. Tanaka, M.D.

Dr. Tanaka founded the Pri Meds in 1982 in partnership with Baptist Health. Born in Santa Barbara, California, Dr. Tanaka graduated from the University of Southern California School of Medicine, and did his residency at the USC Los Angeles Medical Center. He has practiced Emergency Medicine for the past 30 years. From 1974 to 1981 he served as Director for Emergency Department Physicians of Marina del Rey and expanded emergency physician services throughout California, Washington, Alabama and Florida. He served as Director of emergency departments at Northeast Medical Center in Anniston, East Regional Medical Center Auburn, Jackson Hospital Montgomery, Baptist Medical Center Montgomery and Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. He also served as Medical Director of the Trenholm State Paramedic Training Program from 1983 to 1987. In 1981, he moved from Anniston, Alabama to Montgomery and co-founded Alabama Emergency Room Administrative Services, which provided emergency room physicians to eight hospitals in five cities throughout Alabama.

In 1982, Dr. Tanaka opened the first Pri Med facility on Vaughn Road and later expanded to the five facilities which exist today. In 1986, he published several books and started Unicor Medical, a local company which provides medical practice software used by clinics and hospitals nationwide. In 2002 he and Dr. Brobst founded Industrial Care Management, which integrated Industrial Medicine into the Pri Meds and Baptist Emergency Rooms. 

He has three sons: Paul Jr., Matt and Riley. The two oldest are in pre-med at the University of Alabama while the  youngest attends Macon East Academy. His passions are the practice of medicine, fishing and farming. He will quickly tell you, ”Being a doctor is the best job in the world.”