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State health director's military background serves him well

Posted February 07, 2008 10:00 pm

Meagan Sexton

Three months after having his prostate removed in 2003, National Guardsman Dr. Damon Arnold volunteered to go to Iraq. He ultimately served two tours of duty there.

Arnold, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health since October, brings an unusual blend of experience in the military, medicine, massage therapy and acupuncture to his career as a health-care administrator.

Arnold, 50, of Chicago, said his cancer was caught early, so there was no need for radiation or chemotherapy.

"I felt that the soldiers needed the support," he said about why he sought to be deployed to Iraq so soon after his surgery.

Arnold's commitment to the military began as a way to pay off medical school bills. He figured he would stay in the service for only six years. That was more than 23 years ago.

"I felt that the military embodied the correct forms of discipline and basic moral character for supporting the country," Arnold said. "I just fell in love with it. It really embodies the will of American citizens and support of the system we have - you know, the way of life."

Col. James Smith, chief of staff for the Illinois National Guard, called Arnold a rare find for the military.

"He is an outstanding soldier and an outstanding medical doctor," Smith said.

"I took him with me to Hurricane Katrina as the chief medical officer. The classes he prepared for troops and the insight to hazards that would be presented were invaluable. He brings those things with his vast medical experience."

Arnold believes he is better equipped to assist people because of his diverse background.

"Getting involved with war situations and going through Cook County Hospital and holding people's hands when they were going through severe medical illnesses - it really brought me to the point where it became imperative that I have a way of somehow affecting policies in the state and the provision of health care," said Arnold.

He practiced internal medicine for three years at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

Arnold's interest in medicine and health care began as a teenager. He volunteered 2,000 hours of community service to local health-care facilities in New York, assisting with patients' needs.

"Once you start listening to people and you have a person come to you for any medical illness, it's not just a person, it's a family, a community," he said.

Arnold also has applied his medical expertise and experiences on the war front. During his first tour in Iraq, Arnold was responsible for pulling injured people out of the field.

"We would get hit with five to 15 mortar rounds a day, and we were being shot at by snipers," he said. "We had some improvised explosive device issues where we went out and saw people pretty much incinerated. Everyone we got to our clinic, we saved."

Arnold said his time spent in Iraq was difficult, but what affects him the most is observing the dedication and commitment of public health employees.

"I'm a military person and I never cry, but that's the only thing that could ever make me cry," he said.

Meagan Sexton can be reached at (217) 782-6882.

Bio box

Dr. Damon Arnold, 50, Chicago, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health since October

Married to Sharon Johnson-Arnold

Education: Bachelor's degree, Howard University, master's in public health and M.D. degrees from the University of Illinois. Completed several classes at DePaul University College of Law. Certified in massage therapy and acupuncture.

Background: Medical director for bioterrorism and preparedness for the Chicago Department of Public Health, medical director for Mercy Works in Chicago, medical director of St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, director of health services for LTV Steel Co. in Indiana.

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