(WXYZ) — He served veterans in military hospitals for 25 years. Now he serves metro Detroiters at Henry Ford Hospital.
Dr. Daniel Ouellette is head of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine department. He joined Henry Ford in 2006 after retiring from the Army in 2005.
He started his day on Veterans Day as he usually does: at the hospital doing what he loves most.
“Part of what drew me to medicine was my love for science,” Ouellette said. “I wanted to have a career where I interacted with people and used the things I knew to help other people.”
He recalls that it was his love for medicine that pushed him to work as a doctor.
“I had to be in a disciplined environment,” he explained.
Although he was never on the battlefield, he saw the aftermath up close while treating veterans and active duty. He especially remembers helping the wounded at Brooke Army Medical Center after the 1990 invasion of Panama.
“The victims of that operation were returned to our hospital and arrived within a few hours of being on the battlefield,” Ouellette said.
Raised from second lieutenant in the Army Reserve to colonel and served as senior advisor on pulmonary and critical care to the surgeon general.
In his role as a senior advisor, he helped prepare the country for possible negative consequences for the health of its citizens.
“When you’re in the middle of that and you realize how many of these things are actually happening that most people don’t know about, the kind of planning, the kind of thoughtfulness, the kind of foresight that it takes to keep America safe and to protect our freedoms ,” said Ouellette.
His awards include:
- Legion of Merit
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Army Medal
- Distinguished Unit Citation
- Army Achievement Medal
- Army Reserve Medal
“I constantly think about the experiences that I have. They have shaped who I am as a person and that is why they are constantly at the forefront of my mind,” Ouellette said.
They are a constant source of inspiration for him at Henry Ford.
“Having these responsibilities and being involved in some very important decision-making has put me in a position where I can provide some leadership for the rest of my career and that has been very important” , said Ouellette.
Visual memories as he endures what he hopes will end up being at least 25 years at Henry Ford, doing what he loves: serving people who may never know of his past as an unsung hero.
“There are a lot of hidden heroes among us. There are a lot of people who you wouldn’t think would have served their country, but who do,” Oullette said.
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