Michael A. Person, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS

Dr. Michael Person is board-certified in General Surgery and recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. A graduate of Sioux Falls Washington High School, he went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in ACS-certified Chemistry and Physics from Augustana University. He received his medical degree from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and completed his residency in General Surgery at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. He also holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of South Dakota School of Health Sciences and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Health Services Administration from the USD Beacom School of Business.

He remains active in both state and national medical organizations, including the American College of Surgeons, the South Dakota State Medical Association, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the North American Rural Surgical Society, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Association for Surgical Education, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. His professional involvement also includes several leadership appointments. He serves as Chair of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center and as Clinical Vice President of the General Surgery Service Line for the Avera Health System. In addition, he is the State Trauma Medical Director for the South Dakota Department of Health. On a national level, his work with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma has included serving as Region 8 Chief, Rural Area Program Chair, and Chair of the Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC).

Dr. Person is an Academic Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and serves as the Surgery Clerkship Director at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. As part of his academic responsibilities, he serves on the medical school's Avera Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) committee. In addition, he is a certified course director for the Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), and Stop the Bleed, providing training for health care professionals across the region in surgical and trauma care.

His clinical practice emphasizes minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. Areas of expertise include trauma and acute care surgery, complex hernia repair, and foregut cancer surgery involving the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, small bowel, and gallbladder. He treats a wide spectrum of hernias from inguinal to abdominal wall hernias such as umbilical, incisional, and stomal, as well as hiatal (paraesophageal) and diaphragmatic hernias. Alongside these specialties, he continues to provide the full scope of general surgery, including endoscopic procedures, offering comprehensive and individualized care to his patients.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Person values time with his wife, Rachel, their five grown children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandchild. A native of Sioux Falls and born at Avera McKennan Hospital, he now serves patients in the same community where his life began. His personal interests include occasional off-road Jeeping, working on projects around his acreage, and pursuing topics such as leadership development and systems improvement.