Associate Professor of Internal Medicine

Department: Internal Medicine

Danielle Noreika, M.D., embodies the philosophy that education is a partnership between the teacher and learner, making it her personal mission to know the goals of her learners and to curate their educational experiences to tailor their interests. She welcomes different opinions and ideas provided by learners with statements such as, “We are here to learn” and “Let’s do this and we will learn something together.” Dr. Noreika’s “infectious enthusiasm” permeates her communication with others, and she demonstrates compassion for everyone she meets. One colleague described her as the “consummate clinician-educator,” adding, “Her dedication to her patients is matched by her devotion to medical education for all levels of learners.”

Dr. Noreika completed medical school at Drexel University COM in Philadelphia, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA and a Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at VCU. She joined VCU faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Department of Internal Medicine (DOIM), and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2017. She became Medical Director of Palliative Care in 2014 and has also served as the Program Director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, since 2017. Dr. Noreika has averaged three awards/honors per year since 2015, including being recognized with the Leadership in GME Fellowship Director Award in 2020 and Outstanding Leadership, Academic Service, and Excellence in Administrative Service Awards from the DOIM. In 2021 she was voted as one of Richmond’s “Top Docs” in Hospice Care and Palliative Care categories by Richmond Magazine. She has presented 33 times at the local, state, and national levels, lectured at or participated in 20 CME events, and provided dozens of presentations to varied learners at VCU. Dr. Noreika has had 15 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to 7 books and chapters, and has completed 13 posters and professional exhibits.

In their letter to nominate Dr. Noreika for this award, Drs. Patricia Sime, Curtis Sessler, Christian Barrett, and Rebecca Forrest write that Dr. Noreika “truly personifies the accomplished clinical teacher providing an exceptional educational experience, innovative approaches, and noteworthy leadership not only to medical students, residents, and fellows but to colleagues at VCU and beyond. To excel as a clinical educator requires skills and commitment to teaching but is also anchored in being a wise and caring clinician who is dedicated to exceptional patient care.” They state that Dr. Noreika has become “the face of Palliative Care at VCU, in the Richmond area, and recently, across the country.” In 2022 she was elected to the Fellowship Committee for the Association of Specialty Professors (Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine – “a reflection of her national standing in clinical education.” She actively involves her learners in innovative learning opportunities, including Palliative Care Project ECHO, telemedicine clinics at multiple sites, and QI projects.

A former pre-med student, whom Dr. Noreika allowed to shadow her on rounds, described the impact of Dr. Noreika’s teaching: she “powerfully demonstrated many intangible qualities that physicians should possess: compassion, humility, and patience, to name a few. I believe the modeling of these intangible qualities is so important given the difficulty of teaching them directly. It was inspiring to meet a role model that I hoped to emulate as I was about to enter medical school.”

Dr. Noreika’s passion for her patients and for teaching are evident. As Sudeep Pandey, M.D., recalls, “I have never met any other person in my life so committed and invested professionally that you can see from afar that she pours her heart and soul to her profession, to teaching and to create future professionals.” Her Internal Medicine Chief Residents for 2021-2022 agree that Dr. Noreika “always put forth the extra effort to ensure that our time on the rotation is meaningful to us…she continues to show us the compassionate, patient-centered care that we aspire to provide to our patients across the different stages of their care.”

Back to Listing