About Dan
About Dan
Pohlgeers
A Republican candidate for Tennessee Senate District 3. A small business owner, a 31-year healthcare professional, a community advocate, and a lifelong conservative running to bring real change to a seat held by the same politician for nearly four decades.
36
Years
Healthcare Professional
3
Counties
Carter, Johnson & Washington - District 3
0
Special Interests
No Conflicts of Interest. Answers Only to YOU.
Who Is Dan?
Roots in East Tennessee
Dan was born in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, and has built his life and career in Upper East Tennessee. He and his wife are proud members of the communities he seeks to represent. From Johnson City to Mountain City to Elizabethton, Dan knows these communities personally, not from a distance.Dan Pohlgeers is a Republican candidate for Tennessee Senate District 3, representing Carter, Johnson, and Washington Counties in Upper East Tennessee. He is a small business owner, a 31-year healthcare professional, a community advocate, and a lifelong conservative running to bring real change to a seat that has been held by the same politician for nearly four decades.
"I am not a career politician.
I am your neighbor."
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A Career Built on Service
A Career Built on Service
Dan earned his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Kentucky University in 1990 and later completed his Master of Business Administration at Milligan University. He is a former Nationally Certified Occupational Therapist and a former Certified Hand Therapist, credentials he held for nearly three decades.
In 2011, Dan founded Sunesis Medical Consulting in Gray, Tennessee — a medical group consulting firm he continues to lead today as Owner and President.
Education & Credentials
— B.S. Occupational Therapy, Eastern Kentucky University, 1990
— MBA, Milligan University, Milligan College, TN
— Former Nationally Certified Occupational Therapist
— Former Certified Hand Therapist (nearly 3 decades)
Career Highlights
— Director of Occupational Therapy
— Hand Therapy Coordinator - Johnson City Medical Center
— Certified Hand Therapist
— Watauga Orthopaedics & Trinity Hand Specialists
— Founder, Owner & President - Sunesis Medical Consulting, Gray, TN (est. 2011)
Healthcare Advocacy
A Voice for Healthcare Reform
Dan has been one of the most consistent and outspoken advocates for healthcare transparency and competition in Upper East Tennessee. He served on the COPA Local Advisory Council, appointed by Commissioner John Dreyzehner, M.D., to oversee the Ballad Health merger. He was an invited participant at a conference hosted by the Federal Trade Commission to raise community concerns about Certificates of Public Advantage and the effects that monopolies have on access to care, nursing staffing, and physician recruitment.
He has given expert testimony before the Tennessee General Assembly on workers compensation, insurance reimbursement, and healthcare policy, and has presented at national conferences including the American Society of Hand Therapists and the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives.
— COPA Local Advisory Council - appointed by Commissioner John Dreyzehner, M.D.
— FTC Conference Participant - raised community concerns on Ballad Health monopoly
— Tennessee Legislative Summer Study on Balance Billing - provider representative
— Tennessee Group Practice Coalition - Member and Chairman, 2021-2026
— ETSU Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse Working Group - 10 years
— Expert testimony - TN General Assembly on workers comp, insurance reimbursement, healthcare policy
— National presenter - American Society of Hand Therapists; American Association of Orthopaedic Executives
Pro-Life Leadership
Pro-Life Leadership
Dan and his wife were Co-chairs for Northeast Tennessee on the YES on 1 campaign, organizing six counties in the successful 2014 effort to pass Amendment 1 to the Tennessee Constitution; which restored the General Assembly's authority to legislate on abortion and laying the foundation for Tennessee's current pro-life protections.
Community Involvement
Community Involvement
Dan's commitment to Upper East Tennessee extends beyond his professional career. He has served on the Board of Directors of Frontier Health since 2017, including as Vice-Chair in 2025, and has been active in Chamber of Commerce government relations committees across the region since 2006.
"East Tennessee is ready for a change.
Dan Pohlgeers is ready to lead it."
Why Dan Is Running
Why Dan
Is Running
District 3 has been represented by the same state senator for nearly 40 years. In that time, healthcare in Upper East Tennessee has grown more expensive and less accessible, farmland has disappeared at an alarming rate, and the voices of ordinary families have gone unheard in Nashville.
Dan Pohlgeers brings no conflicts of interest, no ties to Ballad Health, and no hidden agenda. He brings 36 years of service to this region, a proven record of civic engagement, and the independence to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done in Nashville.
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Join the Movement.
This campaign is built on grassroots support from families across Carter, Johnson, and Washington Counties. Your involvement makes a difference - whether you have five minutes or five hours to give.
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