As a child growing up on the Pauma Indian Reservation, Daniel Calac, M.D., remembers the dirt. Literally.
“It was a small community, where everyone knew everyone and dirt was my best friend,” recalls the 2014 American Indian Heritage Month Local Hero. “Playing outside, that’s all there was—dirt, rock and sagebrush. I spent 18 years of my life there, and it was pretty rural and isolated before the big boom of the '80s.”
When not outdoors, playing with friends, Calac discovered he had a penchant for science, and would spend hours lost in scientific reading and discovery.
“Science has always been fascinating to me,” he admits. “Perhaps it’s the unknown of it that sparked my interest, but I spent a lot of time on the reservation looking up at the stars. There was a small library at my school, Pauma Valley Elementary, which is just off the reservation. I was always reading astronomy books there, checking out two or three books at a time. I was intrigued by the beauty of exploring unknown frontiers.”
His curiosity for science soon developed into pursuit of a career in medicine, buoyed by his mother, a nurse.
“The motivation for any physician stems from a desire to help the population as a whole,” he says. “For me it was probably also the exposure to the medical field through my mother and seeing her as a nurse and being surrounded by medical equipment. That coupled with my early predilection for earth and life sciences, and a very strong work ethic, led me to pursue a medical career.”
Calac credits his maternal grandfather with instilling in him a keen desire to work hard, something he carries to this day. He remembers doing chores for his grandfather, like burning trash, cutting the lawn and pulling weeds. As the oldest grandchild, he is grateful for the time he got to spend with him.
“My grandfather lived ten miles away, and was the most influential male role model that I have because of his work ethic,” says Calac. “He taught me to apply myself and know how to work. A lot of people aren’t taught how to work. The ability to stay on task, complete a task and stay busy all the time. People who know how to work always have to give more and push themselves to do so.”
Calac earned his medical degree from Harvard University Medical School, and did his residency at the Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program at University of Southern California.
Today, he is the Chief Medical Officer for the Indian Health Council, Inc. (IHC), a consortium of nine tribes, including Inaja-Cosmit, La Jolla, Los Coyotes, Mesa Grande, Pala, Pauma, Rincon, San Pasqual, and Santa Ysabel. Offering an array of on-site and outreach services and programs to the North San Diego County reservations, it is committed to improving the health and well-being of the American Indian community. Oh, and it’s where his mother works, too.
“My mother, Esther Calac-Heller, was a role model to me,” he explains. “She is semi-retired, but still works here at the clinic,” Calac explains. “Working with her is great, and a wonderful opportunity to share time with her, from a familial sense and also, professionally.”
With an annual budget of approximately $20 million, the IHC sees 20,000 patients per year, according to Calac.
“We have 140 employees, including 34 medical staff,” Calac explains. “We try to educate as much as possible on healthy lifestyles, and we make ourselves available to our patients. There’s a big push for healthy living and fitness, not only from the government, but from clinics likes ours as well.”
Calac also lends his expertise to other organizations, such as Cal State University San Marcos, where he serves on the Foundation Board, and California Native American Research Center for Health, where he helps coordinate and mentors students conducting research for the center. He also serves on a Committee for the Native American Child Health, a group of pediatricians who perform site visits and provide advocacy for children.
Calac sees obesity as one of the biggest health issues facing American Indians today.
“The goal of the clinic is to really look at obesity and offer preventive care,” he notes. “Historically we’re not overweight. It’s something that’s been born out of the food industry. You can definitely see the links between food, the oppression, societal trauma, and the way Native Americans are treated. We used to eat federal government subsidies sent in the form of plain-labeled, generic canned food—peaches and pears, huge blocks of Velveeta cheese and frozen food. It’s been an ongoing running joke. Growing up, my mom had a garden so we had fresh fruit and vegetables, but no one really wants to have a garden if you’re depressed and unemployed. There are definitely some struggles that led to where we are today in terms of obesity.”
Calac, who has been married 23 years to wife, Jacqueline, and has four children, thinks of a storybook character when considering his legacy and the future of the IHC.
“I’m like Willy Wonka,” says the 48 year old. “He was successful with his chocolate factory and needed to find an heir. That’s my mission, to find an heir. To have a program of good medical care, that promotes and uplifts Native American families and continues the process into the next generation. I have another 20 years to find an heir or replacement, but that’ll be the tricky part.”
