Daniel E. Hall, MD, MDiv, MHSc, FACS

  • Professor of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine
  • Medical Director, High Risk Populations and Outcomes, Wolff Center at UPMC
  • Core Faculty, Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh
  • Staff Surgeon, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
  • Core Investigator, VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion

Dr. Hall is a tenured Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Staff Surgeon at the VA Pittsburgh and Core Investigator at the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. He is an active general surgeon with training in health services research, quality improvement, moral philosophy and theology. In 2018, he was appointed Medical Director for High Risk Populations and Outcomes at the Wolff Center at UPMC where he manages a variety of quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving high-value, goal-concordant care. His diverse portfolio of work aims at developing reliable systems of healthcare delivery that are both technically excellent and directed toward the normative good of human flourishing, conceptualized as the well-functioning of the whole person as appropriate to each patient’s vocation. Clinical interests focus on both minimally invasive and robotic surgery, emergency general surgery, and surgical palliative care.

Current research focuses on improving the decision-making and preoperative care of frail patients scheduled for elective surgery. Other research focuses on defining and predicting trajectories of postoperative recovery and long-term loss of independence after surgery—all in order to better inform shared decision making between patient and surgeon. He is also interested in how surgical residency shapes the character of surgeons-in-training and how best to form the virtues necessary for good surgical practice.

Dr. Hall earned degrees in medicine and theology from Yale University before completing his surgical training at the University of Pittsburgh, and joining the faculty in 2007. He is also an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church with interests in the theology of medicine. He has a proven track record of mentoring students, residents and junior faculty, many of whom have won research awards at prestigious surgical conferences. Further details about the projects, data sources and opportunities available through Dr. Hall’s lab can be found here.

Education & Training

  • General Surgery Residency, UPMC
  • M.H.Sc., Duke University
  • M.D., Yale School of Medicine
  • M.Div., Yale Divinity School
  • B.A., Yale College

Representative Publications

Dr. Hall's publications can be reviewed through PubMed.