When asked about his proudest moment of serving on the Barton Health Foundation Board of Trustees over the last three decades, one of Dr. Dan Norman’s responses is delivered with a bit of humor from well-earned bragging rights.

“Being on the winning team of the Annual Golf Tournament three times in a row, of course,” he said
with a chuckle. “It’s always a fun event to be involved in.”

Dr. Norman’s impact stretches beyond his participation in the Barton Health Foundation Golf Classic; he’s attended dozens of galas, community events and board meetings over the last 30 years. He joined the Foundation Board in 1991, soon after its inception, viewing it as an opportunity to serve as
a liaison between Barton Health physicians and the Board of Trustees. His goal is to provide a medical perspective to Board decisions when prioritizing efforts.

The extended Norman Family

“It was a good thing for me to do at the time, and I enjoy the work we do,” he said. “The people involved are enthusiastic and passionate about supporting the hospital in times of need. I find it engaging to address our community’s health concerns and help implement initiatives that will improve their situations at our hospital.”

Much of Norman’s career was spent bustling through the hallways of Barton Health. Specializing in gastroenterology (GI), he started working with Barton Health patients in 1980 and has served many stints since then, including Chief of Staff on two separate occasions; Vice Chief of Staff for two terms; Medical Director for Medicine Services; and Medical Director for Gastroenterology. He was also a member of several medical staff committees, including the Board Quality Committee, Forms Committee, Medical Executive Committee, Peer Review and Credentials Committee and many others.

Born in Portland, Oregon, Norman lived in various cities across the country before planting roots in Lake
Tahoe. He attended St. Mary’s College of California for his undergraduate studies, attained his graduate degree at San Diego State College and completed his research studies at the University of California – San Francisco. While putting himself through the program during the 1970s, he lived in a classic Volkswagen Bus that he and his father renovated together over the course of two years.

But don’t label him as a “hippie” quite yet. Norman said his van life was simply a way of allowing him to reside in the Bay Area while obtaining his degree.

“It was much like living in what a ‘tiny house’ is today,” he said. “That was a fun time in my life.”

Norman attended medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia, then completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Texas – Southwestern Medical School. He was always drawn to gastroenterology, noting this type of medicine can be powerful in helping people and changing their lives.

Norman and his wife, Liz, made a promise to each other to one day live in what they considered the most beautiful place in the world — Lake Tahoe. So, when an opportunity at Barton Health presented itself, the couple packed up their lives and moved west to the Sierra Nevada during the summer of 1980.

“I spent two weeks in the Emergency Room to get started, working day and night,” Norman said. “Then my GI practice took off, and the rest is history.”

Norman recently retired from his 40-plus years in medicine at the end of 2021. Now, he continues to participate on the Foundation Board, and you can find him on the links at Edgewood Golf Course several times a week, where he also serves as President of the Men’s Club.

The Normans have been married for nearly 47 years and they have two adult daughters, Melanie and Brooke. They also welcomed sons-in-law David and Chris to their family
with open arms. They are the proud grandparents of five wonderful grandchildren: Hannah, Haleigh, Colton, Livleigh and Vivia.

“Our grandchildren are very active in sports and other
activities, so we go to every game or event we can,” Norman
said. “We just love hanging around with our family. It’s our
favorite thing to do!”

Over the years, Norman witnessed firsthand the positive
impacts of the Foundation on the hospital. In fact, volunteerism has become a family affair. Norman is proud to mention that his
daughter, Melanie, is now the Chairman of the Barton Health
Foundation Board of Trustees — an accomplishment he
politely declines to take any credit for.

“That was all her,” he said. “She’s brought new life to the Board, and she has this incredible ability to rally around causes that help the community and enhance our hospital.”

When Norman looks back on his time on the Board, he’ll remember it as an experience that was meaningful and important to the hospital and his community. But don’t worry — he still has a few more years left in him.

“We have done a lot of really great work,” he concluded.  “The Board is a wonderful group of individuals to work with, all aligned with the same goals in mind. I’m proud to be a part of it.”