Daniel Poel

Organizational Support Volunteer
Harbor Hospice, Muskegon, MI

Dan Poel was a Registered Nurse for over three decades, serving eight of those years for Harbor Hospice and prior to that time, nine years in the United States Navy.  During his military career, Dan joined the volunteer fire department and became an EMT which ultimately led him to a nursing career.  Dan’s clinical expertise became relevant after spending time with his father-in-law in ICU following a car accident and years later, admitted into hospice care. It was because of that experience, Dan decided hospice nursing was his calling.

Retiring in 2014, Dan’s expertise was realized in many capacities at Harbor Hospice. His subtle demeanor and characteristic humor made him a favorite among staff and patients.  Early in 2020, as COVID swept into West Michigan, Dan selflessly volunteered to perform COVID19 testing for our staff. Putting himself at risk, and working long hours in restrictive Personal Protective Equipment, Dan was committed to keeping our team members safe and administering over an astonishing 4,500 tests, along with his wife, Paula, former Harbor Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, who assisted with the clerical forms. Nearly a year after the intense testing program was launched, COVID infection numbers dropped low enough that staff testing was no longer needed, and Dan and Paula, graciously went back into retirement. Dan stated “While providing COVID 19 testing, it was nice to reconnect with staff I had worked with and to also get to know the new staff that joined Harbor Hospice after I retired. I enjoyed being part of the team again and found it gratifying to support the staff. I realized early on that some of the staff found getting tested very stressful and it was rewarding to be able to ease their anxiety. Through that process, I learned how very differently people can react to the same situation.  It was nice using my nursing skills again and being able help protect the staff during the COVID 19 pandemic.”