Emergency Care Partners (ECP) and Progressive Emergency Physicians (PEP) are proud to recognize Danniya Samuel, MS, PA-C. As Chief Emergency Department Physician Assistant at Mercy Medical Center, in Rockville Centre, NY, Danniya manages hiring and training, staff scheduling, and performance oversight for the department’s mid-level team.
Her background in emergency care, procedural training, and provider mentorship allows her to lead clinical teams while remaining a hands-on presence in the emergency department.
Danniya earned a dual Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Hofstra University’s Northwell Health School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. A Dean’s List graduate, she developed a strong foundation in patient care and clinical decision-making that continues to shape her approach to emergency medicine.
She began her emergency medicine career in 2017 as a Physician Assistant at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. During this time, she honed her skills in patient evaluation, emergency procedures, and collaborative care in a fast-paced emergency department setting.
Since 2018, Danniya has served as Chief Emergency Department Physician Assistant at Mercy Medical Center with Progressive Emergency Physicians, a role in which her focus expanded from direct patient care to leading the department’s mid-level provider team. She holds NCCPA certification along with credentials in ACLS, BLS, PALS, and ATLS, and is an active member of both the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the New York State Society of Physician Assistants.
Danniya is recognized for her adaptability, strong communication skills, and ability to build effective working relationships across clinical and administrative teams. In 2024, Mercy Medical Center named her its Advanced Practice Provider of the Year, in recognition of both her clinical contributions and her leadership within the department.
Being a clinician was never fully on the radar until high school, where I realized I loved science, but wanted a career that would enable me to truly do something and not be stuck behind a desk job. The physician assistant career was suggested by my family and after shadowing a PA, I realized I loved the role that PAs have carved out for themselves in medicine. It’s the perfect mix of bedside care, and collaborative interaction with others.
By far the best thing about working with PEP is the “small town” feel you get when you become a part of the group. It’s very easy to get to know others at your own home base, across our clinical sites and even non-clinicians within the company. I love interacting with other docs and PAs, and we’ve all bonded well over these last several years. Our team is truly invested in forming well-rounded providers, and I’m grateful that they all take the time to get to know you. I have great memories with all my colleagues who I’ve grown to love – they’re part of why I show up to work every day!
The most exciting part of being in emergency medicine is the “unknown”. There is no way to predict what will walk through the doors, I love the challenge of having to think quickly on your feet and come up with solutions. I enjoy being able to do procedures, and to see improvement with my skill set with each passing day. While it certainly can be stressful, that small adrenaline rush teaches you so much about yourself and what you can handle – it has helped me grow immensely both as a provider and as a person.
When I’m not working, I love spending time with my family and friends, checking out new restaurants, curling up with a good mystery/thriller book, going to Indian classical dance lessons or dabbling in painting. Vacationing in the Caribbean is always a treat – there’s nothing that the beach can’t fix!
In a broken healthcare system, the biggest disservice to the ER is the expectation that the ER is supposed to “figure it out”, when in fact we may not be able to do that. While we would love to pinpoint a diagnosis, we are trained to rule out emergent and life-threatening things. So, while we may not know exactly what’s causing a patient’s symptoms, we have done a workup to know what emergencies are not causing it. Walking out of the ER without diagnosis does not mean we did not do our job!
The most meaningful moments have been 2 things: winning the Mercy Medical Center APP of the Year in 2024 and participating in a medical mission trip to Belize in 2025. With the award, to not only be nominated by your colleagues but then to win was a moment of validation for all the years of sacrifice I had made for this career. Being so young in my role as Chief APP of the ER at Mercy has often left me doubting if I’m doing the right thing by my colleagues and patients, but that moment helped solidify my resolve to continue practicing and just being the way that I’ve been. The medical mission trip was an incredible journey to provide care to those most in need. It was a bucket list trip for me, and I’ll never forget the smiles and gratitude for the simple and basic medical care that we were able to provide. It has helped refocus my priorities back home, and practice more intentionally.
My biggest advice for those entering the field, especially PAs, is to have humility. Admitting when you don’t know something or when you’re wrong does not mean lack of intelligence. It shows the understanding that patient care goes beyond one’s ego. Learning can come from different sources – it could be other APPs, physicians, nursing staff, and even patients. Being open to a collaborative approach is what takes you from a good clinician to a great one. Humility is absolutely necessary for growth, and the best providers are never short of it.
Progressive Emergency Physicians (PEP) is an emergency medicine physician group headquartered in New York, with regional operations extending into Vermont. PEP manages emergency department services for five hospitals in the Northeast, utilizing a physician-ownership model designed to optimize clinical operations and maintain a high standard of emergent patient care.
Headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, ECP is the largest single specialty provider of emergency medicine in the United States. With client partners in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Vermont, ECP currently treats more than 1,700,000 patient visits annually at 66 sites of service. ECP supports a clinical workforce of 1000+ physicians and mid-level providers. The company employs a differentiated model relative to other platforms in the industry, highlighted by the ability to maintain ownership through its physician partnership model with regional/local groups to maintain their brand and clinical autonomy while benefitting from ECP’s resources.
For more information, please visit www.ecp.net.
