Strong family values, the importance of hard work, and an emphasis on personal responsibility were the foundations of his upbringing and continue to influence his decisions today. Daniel stumbled upon the medical field somewhat accidentally. Growing up in Brookings, SD, he was very interested in the military, which led him to become involved in the Civil Air Patrol. Through this program, he attended some advanced first-aid classes. He enjoyed them, so he took an EMT class at SDSU during his senior year of high school. Daniel enlisted in the Army National Guard as a Combat Medic and started working as an EMT for the local hospital and ambulance service.
After working with paramedics, he developed the desire to further his education and worked as a paramedic for over 20 years. Through the military, Daniel had the opportunity to go to PA school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and continues to serve as an Aeromedical Physician Assistant in the Army Reserve. After working in large corporate medical systems for several years, Daniel wanted to return to a smaller community hospital when the time was right.
He began working part-time in the GRHS emergency department in the fall of 2021. Daniel soon realized this was the environment he was looking for and joined the emergency medical team full-time in January 2023. He enjoys the personable work environment at GRHS and says it is a breath of fresh air.
Daniel believes in the team approach to medicine and recognizes this includes different specialties and disciplines to achieve the best possible outcomes. His special medical interests include emergency, military, aviation, and prehospital (or EMS) medicine.
In his spare time, Daniel enjoys playing fetch with his dog Lana, riding his Harley, and watching baseball. His favorite teams are the MN Twins and whoever is playing against the NY Yankees. His wife Natasha is a licensed social worker and Command Sargent Major in the Army Reserve. Together they enjoy being active and playing with their preschool-age daughter, who has two speeds; rocket and sleep.
