Unit Director, Department of Nursing, Adult Intensive Care Unit and Adult Rapid Response Team

Here are what Danielle’s nominators had to say about her:

Danielle not only manages two ICUs on separate campuses with very different patient populations and separate staff, but she still finds time to be a part of our team of ICU Leaders, and to assist and encourage her colleagues at Parnassus. Danielle is busy outside of work with a leadership position in a community organization (Rotary Club) and gives so much of her time to the community at large in addition to her leadership in the UCSF community. She is truly a woman to spotlight - an under-the-radar leader who is doing great things.

Nomination by Janice Elzinga

"I've had quite a few managers in different hospital systems and Danielle stands out. Her management style is an open door policy, her communication style is fantastic because she's a great listener, she's open and friendly. She's approachable for absolutely any question I have and she has such a large breadth of knowledge for the system and the way things work that it's a breath of fresh air when we need specific guidance from our leaders. Kudos to a great boss who's friendly, reachable at all hours (sorry!) and covers any and all topics."

Nomination by Eli Piyevsky

Danielle’s Bio:

My nursing career began in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Renown Health in Reno, Nevada in 2000.  I loved working in this high acuity environment and supporting our community through my skills in critical care.  But, while I had grown up in Reno, I had an interest to travel and work in other hospital environments.  I soon found myself working as a traveling nurse in different areas of the country.  This brought me to various hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I fell in love with this community.   I knew I found a new home in San Francisco, and I made the decision to join the Neurological Intensive Care Unit at UCSF in 2009.

While I loved caring for our critical care patient population, I found myself interested in expanding my knowledge in leadership and administration.  A new hybrid rapid response/house supervisor role had been created to support our Mount Zion Campus, and it was a perfect fit for my interest.  This role then led to my advancement as an Assistant Unit Director, and as we moved our patients to the new campus at Mission Bay, I helped lead this effort in opening the new adult units at Mission Bay.  Finally, I took over as the Unit Director of the Mission Bay Adult ICU and also helped reopen our Mount Zion ICU during the COVID pandemic.  The Mount Zion Campus had transitioned to short stay admissions years before, and in order to support our patient needs with COVID, we restored the Mount Zion Campus to an inpatient facility.   Today, I lead both the Mount Zion and Mission Bay Adult ICU departments, as well as our rapid response teams at those two campuses.  My path in nursing has given me so many wonderful opportunities, and many that I never thought I would enjoy.  I am fortunate to have these experiences and truly grateful for my teams that I work with every day.

What advice would you give yourself early on in your career? To a woman entering your field today?

My recommendation to anyone beginning in their career or entering the nursing profession is that if an opportunity comes and is of interest to you, then take it.  Take the opportunity, and do it to the best of your ability.  While it may not be the final position of your career or the final goal you have set for yourself, it will always lead you to personal and professional growth.  As a woman, this is especially important because while many healthcare institutions may advocate for career equity, the reality may be a bit different.  So, get as much and broad experience that you can, and diversify. 

What has been an important success in your career? Have you had a breakthrough moment?

Much of my leadership success I can attribute to many factors.  I had wonderful role models who taught me how to lead with integrity and transparency. I have had different career opportunities that provided a diverse background in experience. And, I have also been involved in our community in the leadership organization of Rotary International.  Rotary has been integral in my professional development and has truly elevated my leadership skills in many areas.  For context, the organization is a global network of 1.4 million leaders and problem solvers who are committed to serving our communities in over 220 countries and territories.  We use our diverse professional talents to create lasting change in our world, and I’ve had the honor of creating new Rotary Clubs and serving as Club President.  Most recently, I served in the role of a District Governor who leads a geographical area of Rotary Clubs, and I was responsible for 45 Rotary Clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Because members in Rotary volunteer their time to support our communities, it provides different challenges when serving as a leader.  And it forces you to create an inclusive environment where people feel like they belong and empowers them to create their own opportunities.  This was a breakthrough for me as a leader in the hospital, and gave me a purpose to engage my team and empower them to be the leaders that they are.  Healthcare providers have unique challenges because of who we serve and the complexity of caring for people.  Not everyone is able to handle the life and death situations that we may face, so it is imperative that we continue to engage our team, provide them growth opportunities, and also provide them support as needed.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work, I love to travel and experience new places and cultures.  Hiking is also high on my list as well as a few other outdoor activities. 

What is on your reading list?

My reading list has moved into more podcasts lately, and I have recently enjoyed ‘Bag Man’ and ‘Smartless’. 

Meet other outstanding women of UCSF through Our Spotlight.