Her thirst for knowledge didn’t stop there. After joining Sentara 8 years ago, Dani leveraged Sentara’s tuition assistance program to earn her master’s degree, which led her to her current role as a health educator. She collaborates with stakeholders and community members to create valuable, practical health and wellness programs for team members, patients and many Sentara health plan customers. These tools include health screenings, fitness classes, special events, webinars, motivational messaging, coaching and more.

“We focus on creating actionable items for the community so they can get started on their journey to wellbeing,” Dani says. “We reinforce choice, tangibility and flexibility in how to approach health goals and remove as many barriers as we can. By engaging consistently, we can go beyond the four walls of the hospital and promote better health outcomes for everyone in the community.”

Since the pandemic, Dani credits her team and its leaders for prioritizing connection, both virtually and in-person, when developing wellbeing educational tools and programs for the broader community.
“It really allowed for us to stay grounded in what people want and need during difficult times that affect everyone.”

Dani’s family has lived in the Hampton Roads area since the 1700s and she and her family currently live in Chesapeake. They love to visit Smithfield and enjoy the shops, restaurants and festivals in the downtown area. A diehard Virginia Tech sports fan, Dani played competitive softball growing up and now coaches her daughter’s team.