As Veterans Day approaches, Brooklyn residents hear a story of service and healing from one of their own. Dr. John Marshall, chief medical officer at Maimonides Medical Center, says his time as an Air Force emergency medic laid the groundwork for a career devoted to crisis response.
From Afghanistan to the front lines of COVID‑19
Marshall deployed to Afghanistan three weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, working as a transport emergency medic in austere conditions. “We were basically at a totally undeveloped site. We set up tents, created systems to care for patients,” he recalled. “Without a lot of resources, we had to make do with what we had.” Those lessons, he says, prepared him for later challenges at Maimonides, from mass‑casualty incidents to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, the hospital added 400 beds to its existing 700‑bed capacity. “Where are we going to put those? We don’t have enough resources for it, where are we going to source ventilators?” Marshall asked, highlighting the logistical hurdles that echo his military experience.
Building Brooklyn’s first pediatric trauma center
In 2019, Marshall led the effort to open Brooklyn’s only pediatric trauma center. He emphasizes that children are not simply “small adults”—their anatomy, physiology, and treatment needs differ. Dr. Alexander Arroyo, director of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Department, praised Marshall’s vision: “We built the team from the ground up, hired all the trauma surgeons, and retrained staff in the latest protocols. Dr. Marshall was the driving force in actually doing this.”
The new center now provides specialized care for the borough’s large child population, offering a dedicated team and state‑of‑the‑art facilities for severe injuries.
Service before self
Marshall says the core value he learned in the Air Force—service before self—continues to guide his work. “There’s a core value in the Air Force which is service before self,” he said, underscoring a lifelong commitment to the community.
His story illustrates how military experience can translate into civilian leadership, strengthening Brooklyn’s health infrastructure and ensuring that both adults and children receive the care they need in emergencies.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
