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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
San Antonio –
“Military” (Medicine) City, USA
By Leah Jacobson, MD, 2017 BCMS President
As many of you know, San Antonio has long been known as "Mil- One of my first clinical experiences as a medical student at UTH-
itary City, USA." In fact, just this Summer, the City of San Antonio SCSA involved cancer patients at what was then BAMC. I remem-
announced that it had registered the trademark “Military City, ber driving from the Medical Center to BAMC thinking how far it
USA,” making it official. was and that I was sure to get lost. This was in the Spring of 1991
(pre- 9/11), so I easily drove on to the Post and miraculously found
I do not have much personal experience with the military, other the building where I was supposed to meet my preceptor. After a
than being born on an Air Force Base to a father that was the base brief orientation, I was sent to interview and examine a female vet-
veterinarian. But I know that many of our members have served, eran with breast cancer. As I began to take her history, I was amazed
or are still actively serving in some capacity. San Antonio has been at her life history, not just her medical history. She stated that she
an important military location for centuries, and we are very fortu- had waited to seek medical care and now wasn't sure what could be
nate to have top physicians at SAMMC and affiliated centers, as done. On exam, she had extensive involvement of the breast with
well as "retired" military doctors who actively practice in San Anto- erosion of the skin and tissue. It was quite a site for a naive medical
nio and Bexar County. student to see. As you can see, she made quite an impression on me
— a patient I have not forgotten.
SAMMC is a unique facility that provides state-of-the-art health-
care to the military and surrounding areas. Some highlights regard- We as a country should never forget these brave men and
ing SAMMC include: women. We owe these veterans and their military caretakers
our gratitude. Their sacrifices and acts of service allow us, as
• Largest DoD (Department of Defense) inpatient facility and Americans, to remain "the land of the free and the home of
only DoD Level I trauma center in United States with 425 in- the brave."
patient beds and 32 operating rooms for inpatient and ambula-
tory surgery; providing trauma care to both DoD beneficiaries In this expanded edition of San Antonio Medicine, many of our
and the local community military and academic colleagues have contributed to enlighten us
on exciting and innovative new ideas to help in both the military
• Largest DoD Outpatient Ambulatory Surgical Center and civilian populations. We, at the Bexar County Medical Society,
appreciate our relationship with SAMMC/Brooke Army Medical
• DoD’s only American Burn Association-verified Burn Center Center and the military physicians. It is my hope to continue and
build on this relationship by involving more military and former
• DoD’s only Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and Hematology/ military physicians on BCMS committees, councils, etc.
Oncology Clinic (ranking among the top cancer programs
in the nation) Once again, a personal thank you to all BCMS members who
have served or are serving in the military.
• The associated Center for the Intrepid provides a full spectrum
of amputee rehabilitation as well as advanced outpatient rehabil- Sincerely,
itation for burn victims and limb salvage patients with residual Leah Jacobson, MD
functional loss.
• It provides renowned graduate medical education program (San
Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium –
SAUSHEC) with 35 programs and over 600 residents in training.
8 San Antonio Medicine • August 2017
