Blue Hill Physician Returns from Deployment in Iraq
BLUE HILL — Richard G. Hines, MD, of Blue Hill Family Medicine recently returned from active duty in Iraq.
Dr. Richard G. Hines of Blue Hill Family Medicine stands in front of the entrance to the Hero’s Highway, the entrance to the emergency room at the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq.
He was stationed in Balad, also known as “Mortaritaville.”
In the months prior to Hines’ arrival, the large air base was the target of as many as 300 mortar attacks per month.
Hines left Blue Hill on Oct. 29 and returned on Feb. 13.
“The hardest part of the trip was being far away from my family and friends. The holidays were especially difficult since that is my favorite time of year,” Hines said.
The months spent apart were made somewhat easier by access to e-mail and telephone. The Blue Hill Family Medicine physician noted, however, that the best part of coming home was “getting off the airplane and seeing the smiling faces of my family.”
Hines served as a colonel and brigade surgeon with the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade. Many of his responsibilities were administrative and included supervising three other flight surgeons and four physician assistants.
“We worked mostly with our troops, which included helicopter pilots and crew,” Hines said. “I felt like I was making a big contribution, and remain grateful that Blue Hill Memorial Hospital has been so supportive of my involvement with the military.”
He also appreciates the support he received from the community upon his return home.
“I got a really good reception. Many people thanked me for the work I did. While individuals may not support military operations, I received a warm welcome when I returned from Afghanistan on a prior deployment, and again when I returned from Iraq.”
Dr. Richard G. Hines will be sharing his insights with colleagues at the Maine Academy of Family Physicians annual meeting in Bar Harbor on April 3 in a presentation titled “The Care of Returning Service Members and Their Families: What Family Physicians Should Know.” |
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Hines and his colleagues did not diagnose or treat the health problems of the Iraqi people during their recent deployment.
“At this point we are not involved in humanitarian missions and we were prohibited from missions off the base,” he said. “Instead, we were helping the Iraqis to improve their own health care systems, and provided training that will help the Iraqi people long after we leave.”
Asked if he was surprised by anything he saw in Iraq, Hines smiles and says, “I was able to fly over much of the country. It was surprisingly green. The amount of water and irrigated farmland was very extensive.”
Hines said another lesson learned on the trip is that “we don’t realize how good we have it in places like Blue Hill. Our radiology and laboratory facilities and well-trained physicians and nursing staff are something we take for granted. Going to a place like Iraq or Afghanistan is a real eye-opener.”
Hines believes his deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq have changed him.
“I think I’m a little more patient … and tolerant,” he said. “Minor problems just don’t seem as significant.”
His military experience also translates into a greater appreciation for the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“This is not a problem that is limited to the battlefield,” Hines said. “It can affect patients within our care who are exposed to other traumatic events in their lives.”
Hines has worked for Blue Hill Memorial Hospital since 1985.
The Ellsworth American
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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