SVS Members Continue Volunteering to Treat Soldiers

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In 2007, SVS members began answering a volunteer request from the Army to treat U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even more SVS members have stepped up to continue this important service. By the end of 2009, 52 members will have volunteered for the program, with some volunteering for multiple rotations.

Organized by Dr. David L. Gillespie, SVS asked for volunteers to assist with the care of injured U.S. military soldiers at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany by filling uncovered slots in their surgery rotation.

During the two-week rotations, civilian vascular surgery volunteers provide clinical and educational expertise to enhance the delivery of sophisticated, state-of-the-art care in support of the military's few vascular surgeons. The U.S. Army provides housing and the American Red Cross covers malpractice insurance.

Cases range from wound debridements/washouts and vascular evaluation to performing open and endovascular interventions that have proven to be very valuable to the LRMC group and life-saving for the soldiers.

After their assignments, many volunteers express gratitude not only for the professional experience, but many feel humbled to witness the injuries and the young age of the wounded. Volunteers consistently express an amazing level of teamwork and constant dedication from the surgeons and staff at LRMC for the injured soldiers.

Dr. David V. Cossman, who volunteered in May 2008, recounted his experience by giving a first-hand comparison between civilian and military operating rooms in the article, "The Best and Brightest" for General Surgery News. The article caught the attention of the U.S Army Surgeon General who wrote about the volunteer program in the August 2008 Pentagon Briefing.

SVS promotes the good work and increases community awareness with press releases to the volunteers' respective local media. The volunteer program has raised public awareness and helped brand the volunteer surgeons' medical practices.

From its onset, the volunteer program consistently filled the slots in the surgery rotation at LRMC, but a year after the program began new volunteers became scarce, leaving numerous coverage issues for 2009. A second call for volunteers was distributed to SVS membership in September 2008, and resulted in an overwhelming response from more than 100 members expressing interest. Currently, all rotations for 2009 have been assigned.

SVS thanks the following members for volunteering their valuable time and service to such a noble and worthy effort (volunteers for December 2008 - December 2009 rotations):

Ali Amin, MD
Vincent J. Bertin, MD
William Todd Bohannon, MD
Phillip J. Church, MD
Rocco G. Ciocca, MD
James (Jay) Cook, MD
Shelby S. Cooper, MD
Alexandre C. d'Audiffret, MD
Richard S. Faro, MD
Patricia C. Furey, MD
Patrick Geraghty, MD
Sachinder S. Hans, MD
Paul B. Haser, MD
Charles H. Klieman, MD
James W. McNeil, MD
Donald E. Patterson, MD
John E. Rectenwald, MD
Adnan Z. Rizvi, MD
D. Michael Rogers, MD
Joseph R. Schneider, MD, PhD
Scott A. Seidel, MD
R. Bradley Thomason, III, MD
Ageliki G. (Angela) Vouyouka, MD
Michael S. Weingarten, MD

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