Introducing Danielle Mitchel, MD

Peggy Merriman, RN, BSN
Director of Care Services, ALS United Greater Chicago

Dr. Danielle Mitchel joined the ALS clinic team at Endeavor NorthShore in January of 2025, and her expertise in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) has already had an impact.

PM&R is a specialty that regularly uses a multidisciplinary team approach to address patient needs. I asked her to share more about her path to joining us.

What drew you to practice medicine? Where did you train?

I come from a family of doctors and nurse practitioners – so naturally as a kid I wanted to do anything other than medicine! That changed when in high school I had to take a CPR class. I found myself enjoying it much more than I expected; it was so cool to learn things in a classroom that directly translated into skills I could use to help others. I couldn’t escape my fate!

I grew up in Sarasota, Florida. I got a Bachelor of Science in Public Health at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. Then I attended medical school at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, FL. I completed my intern year in Orlando, FL then my residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Temple University/MossRehab in Philadelphia, PA. I then pursued fellowship in Neuromuscular Medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT.

Can you please share a little bit about the specialty of physical medicine and rehab? What drew you to PM&R? How is it different from neurology? How does PM&R complement neurology?

A majority of Neuromuscular specialists did a Neurology residency – I did a different residency in a field called Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) or Physiatry. I like to think of it as a non-surgical, half-neurology, half-orthopedic specialty. Overall PM&R is a field of medicine focused on restoring function and improving quality of life in patients with impairments/disabilities. While neurology diagnoses problems in the nervous system and treats the conditions medically, PM&R helps those same patients with the consequences of those disorders. This includes overseeing therapies, bracing, orthotics, prosthetics, managing wounds, post-amputee care, spasticity, etc.

After patients with strokes, brain injuries, trauma, etc. are stabilized in the hospital, many get discharged to acute inpatient rehabilitation centers – that’s where you’ll find PM&R doctors. Elsewhere in the outpatient setting, PM&R doctors focus on restoring function in patients with musculoskeletal and neurological disorders, so they work alongside neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, etc.

I was drawn to community medicine and public health in undergrad and explored that more in my medical school experience. On my PM&R rotation in medical school, I was so impressed by the wonderful relationships between the doctors and patients, the resiliency of patients to recuperate after illness, and the community-minded spirit of the specialty.

During my PM&R residency I was drawn to the neurologic patients and nerve/muscle testing; I learned how to solve nerve/muscle mysteries with a detailed physical exam and EMG all within one hour! But, when we diagnosed really interesting neurological disorders, we would need to pass those patients on to neurology for further medical management. I wanted to be able to not only rehab, but also medically treat the patients I diagnosed – thus I chose to pursue a Neuromuscular medicine fellowship. That fellowship is run by “Neurology” but accepts “PM&R” residents as well because there is so much overlap between specialties. There’s only about four PM&R residents who do the fellowship each year nationwide so we are not common to find out in the wild!

I think my PM&R background is quite complementary to the field of neuromuscular medicine. I have experience working with physical, occupational, and speech therapists as a team so I know how to help manage functional needs and help direct therapy programs. I have experience with prosthetics and orthotics as well as household modifications and assistive devices. I know how to problem solve bowel/bladder issues, sleep issues, joints pain, nerve pain, amputee care, and wound care.

What drew you to the care of people with ALS?

The thing in particular that drew me to the field of Neuromuscular medicine (people with ALS included) is that the future of treatments in neuromuscular conditions is so bright! Over the last couple of years there have been revolutionary new drugs available for patients with hereditary and acquired conditions that were previously untreatable. ALS is one of those conditions with new and upcoming therapies. I see the ALS treatment landscape changing soon, which is very exciting.

As a physiatrist, I feel like I have a little extra to offer my patients with ALS. I love working in a multidisciplinary team, and our ALS multidisciplinary clinic is no exception. We get to brainstorm how to solve issues as a team and meaningful bonds with our patients.

What is your philosophy of patient care?

My philosophy of patient care is centered on making each patient feel truly heard and supported. In many of the conditions I treat, we don’t yet have a definitive cure. That doesn’t mean we can’t make a meaningful difference. For me, it’s not just about managing symptoms—it’s about being present, listening actively, and walking alongside my patients through the good and bad.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love to hang out with friends, go to the theater, listen to live music, and most importantly, spend time with my cat Oscar!