Dawn E. Hershberger, MMS, PA-C

Dawn Hershberger, MMS, PA-C, is a board-certified physician assistant who cares for patients at Valley Ortho, working closely with Dr. Daniel O’Connor in the operating room and the clinic. Prior to joining Valley Ortho, she worked with Dr. Wade Ceola in Valley View’s Neurosurgery department, Aspen Valley Hospital’s ER and the Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute in Denver.

An Aspen native and a lifelong learner, Dawn’s career as a certified physician assistant is her second one. A series of her own knee surgeries piqued her interest in medicine and led her to pursue a double bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, where she graduated with honors. She then earned her master’s in medical science from Midwestern University.

Immediately after high school, she studied fine arts at the University of North Carolina and danced professionally for several years with both the Berlin State Ballet, and as a founding member of the acclaimed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. She finds that her intrinsic focus and dedication, both required in the discipline of dance, have naturally transitioned to her medical practice and aptitude for surgery.

Dawn not only loves her work, but the Valley View organization itself. “Valley View Hospital provides such a supportive environment for practice and learning while maintaining a sense of community, which I very much appreciate.”   Her main goal is to get patients back to the activities that bring them joy.

When she isn’t in the clinic or operating room, she is likely traveling and cycling with her husband Jonathan and their dogs.