BY SHERI PORTER
Family physicians are playing a critical role in the war in Iraq -- providing medical care to soldiers on the front lines -- as well as seeing more patients at home to cover for colleagues who have been deployed.
No statistics are available regarding the number of FPs serving in Iraq. But Cmdr. John Holman, M.D., M.P.H., director of primary care services at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in California, told FP Report how the war has affected his staff.
"I can't give you specific numbers" for security reasons, he said, "but what I can tell you is that half of the faculty from our residency program is now serving with the Marines in Iraq."
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Even though the departure of so many physicians has left the hospital short staffed, "we haven't changed what we do here," said Holman. "We're taking care of all the wives, the husbands, the children -- they're all still coming right here for their primary care.
"Of course, that means we've got a lot of folks working long hours. But we look at what our colleagues are doing in Iraq and we say, 'OK, we can work 60 or more hours this week -- not a problem.'"
Holman also praised the Naval Reserve FPs "who have come on board, filled in the gaps and been absolutely professional." The reservists, some of whom left behind busy practices, "come with such breadth and depth of experience," said Holman, that they can fill in anywhere, "from the primary care clinic to taking care of Marines who are out training."
Lt. Cmdr. Maureen O'Hara Padden, M.D., M.P.H., director of family practice residency training at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, expressed admiration for her colleagues on an Academy e-mail discussion list.
"There are many military docs deployed to the front lines and in harm's way," she wrote. "I had young doctors who were supposed to come back to start their second year of residency training in our program who, after having served the last several years with the Marines, turned down their training to stay with the Marines and support them during this difficult time. I am in awe of their honor, commitment and courage."
Lt. Mike Shusko, M.D., is one of those physicians postponing his family practice residency training at Camp Lejeune.
"It's truly a minimal sacrifice compared to what those 18-year-old lance corporals are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "I was a Marine for 13 years ... I was a young infantryman like them. I just want to be over there to take care of them. It's the least I can do. Residency will always be there."
Shusko expects to be deployed to the Middle East in June.
John Kugler, M.D., family practice consultant to the U.S. surgeon general for the Army, estimated in mid-April that one-fourth to one-third of the Army's family practice staff physicians were deployed to the Middle East. "They are assigned to combat support hospitals and other medical units, and they work alongside other primary care and ER docs," Kugler said. "When the shooting part of the war is over, we'll have an idea of what kind of ongoing medical support will be needed and for how long."
To reach writer Sheri Porter, e-mail sporter@aafp.org.
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