The Delta Health West Elk Hotchkiss Clinic is excited to welcome its newest Family Practice with Obstetrics Physician (FPOB), Daniel Frantz, DO.
Frantz grew up north of Dallas, Texas in a town called Frisco. He did his medical training in Fort Worth Texas where he was trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). For residency, Frantz practiced family medicine in Wichita, Kansas.
“Midway through my undergraduate career I realized I wanted to be a doctor,” said Frantz. “I had done some mission work in Haiti and saw the way that someone with a medical mind was able to look at the whole person and was able to do good in people’s lives.”
Frantz said he learned a lot about rural communities and some of the challenges people face when geographically they may not have access to medical specialists or services. That experience in Haiti drew him into rural medicine and osteopathy which is the treating of patients using manual manipulation.
“The OMM side of my training taught me about soft tissue and the working of the muscles and bones and aligning the body so that it can function as a cohesive unit and maintain adequate function,” said Frantz. “The family medicine part of my training also really prepared me for rural medicine with an emphasis on obstetrics and higher acuity medicine.”
With a whole-person approach, Frantz likes to allow patients to tell him why they are there. He likes to listen and learn about everything that is going on in their life to then create a treatment plan that makes sense.
“I see people as more than just a disease that might be going on in that moment,” said Frantz. “I like to look at them as a unit, and I want to optimize their health. I focus heavily on the prevention of the disease and not just the treatment of the acute problem happening at that moment.”
Family medicine means that Frantz gets the opportunity to work with patients from all walks of life. From newborns to older adults, it provides the chance to work with the whole family.
Frantz is also particularly excited about the opportunity to practice obstetrics and work closely with patients through pregnancy and even care for them and their babies postpartum.
“I am looking forward to working with the team in Hotchkiss,” said Frantz. “We have a great group of physicians there. I even did my training with one of the new physicians at the West Elk Hotchkiss Clinic, Dr. Rose. I am excited to work with her and with the rest of the amazing providers.”
Frantz and his wife love the mountains and are happy to be living on the Western Slope of Colorado. They can’t wait to explore and get to know the community.
Frantz is currently scheduling new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 970.874.1400 or deltahealthco.org/west-elk-clinic-of-hotchkiss/.
