Army Veteran chooses Shenandoah clinic to serve again
When Darin Stites started looking for a role as a physician assistant, he knew a small town was where he wanted to be.
Darin served two tours overseas as an Army medic. His first deployment was in South Korea near the de-militarized zone, and his second was in the Middle East, where he spent time in several countries, primarily Syria.
After the Army, Darin graduated with his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee. Once he completed his training as a physician assistant at the University of Colorado, he began looking for a rural community to call home.
“I graduated from a high school in small-town Arkansas with a class of 32, so small towns are where I feel comfortable,” said Darin. “Recognizing people, knowing who they are and having kids grow up together is really important to me.”
Darin began as a primary care provider at the Shenandoah, Iowa VA clinic in December 2024. His time as an Army medic led to a particular interest in mental health.
“In the Army and post-deployment, seeing friends and the people around me go through certain things, as well as myself, I almost went the mental health route instead of primary care,” said Darin. “But I like all aspects of care, and there are a lot of aspects of mental health in primary care. I like making Veterans feel heard and being able to provide that baseline mental health care in primary care.”
Darin is happily settling into life in Shenandoah with his wife and two young sons. In his free time, he likes hiking, staying active and playing sports. He hopes to coach sports for his boys when they are older.
“Shenandoah has that small town vibe to it. They have that saying, ‘southern hospitality’ in Tennessee, but people are nicer here.”
If you would like to schedule an appointment with Darin, call the Shenandoah VA Clinic at 712-246-0092.