Pencils and scalpels: Artists help providers illustrate the cure Published May 31, 2006 By Jim Verchio Air Force Communications Agency Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- For many communicators, success is measured by how accurate they are in providing information to help get bombs on target or assist with enemy kills. Yet, there is one group of communication specialists who measure success by lives saved through their ability to illustrate medical procedures.For those whose area of operations is the surgical suite, the Medical Multimedia Center at Wilford Hall at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is ready to provide the medical warfighter with products aimed at improving patient care, furthering medical research and visually documenting everything from minor surgeries to forensic pathology. “Illustrators at Wilford Hall are initiated into the inner chamber of Air Force medical research,” said Master Sgt. Cody Vance, an illustrator in the center. “The graduate medical education residents who rotate through the hospital are always discovering new medical procedures that save lives and improve the quality of life for our military families.” The multimedia center primarily provides the graduate medical education program with professional multimedia products and services in support of its operations. Operating under the direction of the 59th Training Squadron, 59th Medical Support Group, the center provides medical illustrations and photography, video teleconferencing, and video documentation and services in support of medical training.Sergeant Vance said research comes from in-house trials or lessons learned downrange. With the research in hand, the artist works closely with residents to produce visual representations of their findings. The doctors then are able to take their findings on the road to medical conferences and support their research with real-to-life artwork. In some instances, artwork also is used to explain procedures and put a patient at ease.“It’s marvelous at how accurately we are able to visually tell the story of these intricate procedures,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jay Bishoff, the lead urologist at Wilford Hall. “The mock ups we produce show my patients exactly what I’ll be doing. These illustrations are priceless.” At the wing level, military photographers usually are tasked to shoot the obligatory retirement and promotion ceremonies. However at the 59th MSG, they document medical research such as cranial facial documentation and live surgical procedures, and provide autopsy documentation. An integral part of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the group’s specially trained and certified photographers are prepared to deploy “same day anywhere” in the U.S. with a team of forensic pathologists to document potential cause of death of servicemembers. “Visual documentation of fatalities preserves evidence which may be critical to investigations,” said Col. Joanne Henkenius-Kirschbaum, 59th TS commander. “This documentation assists the Air Force to capture lessons learned, and possibly avoid future mishaps and loss of life. Considering the multimedia career field is not a medical specialty, our photographers and illustrators do a remarkable job with the special missions entrusted to them.” In the medical arena, the metaphorical bombs on target are lives saved, and providers at Wilford Hall can rest assured their multimedia team is poised and ready to support that mission at a moment’s notice. Sergeant Vance said there’s real job satisfaction in being able to bring the visual to life. “Whether it’s illustrating a ground-breaking procedure or helping forensic professionals document the cause of death, it’s nice to go home at the end of the day knowing you’re directly impacting someone’s quality of life,” he said.