Daniel Holena, MD, MSCE, FACS

Dr. Daniel Holena is a trauma and emergency general surgeon who treats patients with life-threatening injuries and urgent surgical conditions. He specializes in caring for people after car crashes, falls, gunshot wounds, or serious infections that require emergency surgery. Dr. Holena trained at some of the country’s busiest academic medical centers, where he gained extensive experience managing critically ill patients. He completed his general surgery residency at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology, which helps him improve care by focusing on outcomes that matter most to patients. At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Holena served as Section Chief of Emergency General Surgery, leading a service line dedicated to caring for critically ill surgical patients. He later continued his efforts to increase knowledge about injured patients as a busy trauma surgeon and director of research at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Now at MUSC, Dr. Holena brings more than 15 years of experience in high-stakes emergency care to patients and families across South Carolina. He believes in clear communication, compassionate decision-making, and care that is grounded in both skill and trust. His approach is centered on understanding and attending to each patient’s individual needs-especially in the moments that matter most.