Winter 2007	From New York to Iraq—and back
Craig Miller, M.D., examines a patient in Iraq. Answering his country’s call Every day, Craig Miller, M.D., a dermatologist with VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York, treated military men and women who had selflessly served their country. Interacting with these patients got him thinking: Maybe it was time he gave back to his country, too. Dr. Miller had only been with VA for about a year when the September 11 terrorist attacks took place. The tragic events of that day left no doubt in his mind of what he needed to do. He enlisted in the Air Force Reserves and was trained as a flight surgeon. Going above and beyond Dr. Miller eventually was sent to Kirkuk, Iraq, about 150 miles north of Baghdad. From January to May 2007, he served in a small medical unit and tended to everything from battle injuries to minor sniffles. “Our job was to maintain the effectiveness of our fighting forces by keeping them healthy,” Dr. Miller says. He set up the only dermatology clinic in northern Iraq, where he discovered some cases of skin cancer among reservists. “This Iraq conflict is unique because now we have an aging reservist population,” he says, “so we’re seeing health issues that tend to pop up in older people, such as skin cancer.” His unit also cared for civilians who were caught in crossfire. He says that the courage the Iraqi people showed every day never ceased to amaze him. Performing double duty   Craig Miller, M.D., became a flight surgeon after the events of September 11, 2001.   Because of his dedication, Dr. Miller continued to take care of his regular patients back home while he was in Iraq through a process called telemedicine. A physician assistant and primary care doctor were trained to see his patients and then send him patient images over a secure computer network. Dr. Miller studied each case, from dermatitis to skin cancer, to make sure nothing was overlooked and gave his recommendations. Now that’s he’s back stateside, Dr. Miller is seeing his patients face to face again and his military experience has created a greater patient connection. “It gives them this whole other perspective of me,” he says. His experience has given him an even greater respect for where he practices medicine. “I’ve worked in the outside world, in places other than VA, and I’m very impressed with the care we provide here,” he says.
Winter 2007 Starting the New Year | Running | Vitamins | Performance Preparing for Disaster | Iraq Call | Feet Beat VA News and Updates | Health Beat | VA Wellness Programs

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