Dr. Phillip Rand Brown

BALTIMORE, Md. - Colonel Phillip Rand Brown, Veterinarian, Medical Commander of the 175th Medical Group, Maryland Air National Guard, Associate Professor of Surgery and Comparative Medicine at Johns Hopkins, President of Field Health Care International, died on January 25, 2009, from complications of cancer. Dr. Brown was a health care management consultant who focused on operational, organizational, and leadership issues affecting healthcare systems. Colonel (Dr.) Brown was born in Atlanta, Georgia and received his BS in zoology in 1971 and Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1975 at the University of Georgia in Athens. He received a Master of Science in Experimental Surgery degree from McGill University at Montreal in 1980 and a Master's degree in Business Administration at Johns Hopkins University in 2007. He retired from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2008 as an Associate Professor of Surgery and Comparative Medicine. Dr. Brown was a dedicated educator who contributed to the medical and surgical education of countless medical students, surgical residents, and fellows. Respected as animal clinician, he was frequently called upon at Hopkins for difficult animal surgeries and for veterinarian consultation. In 1993 he was awarded the Ranice W. Crosby Distinguished Achievement Award for significant contributions to the advancement of art as applied to the medical sciences. He was a member of the School of Medicine Admissions Committee and was core faculty of the required medical student course titled Physician, Patient, and Society. He served as an associate Director of the Johns Hopkins Simulation Center for training medical students and Hopkins hospital staff, residents, and faculty in medical crisis intervention and clinical management. Dr. Brown was a Co-director of the Johns Hopkins University Minimally Invasive Surgical Training Center since 2002 where he taught fundamental surgical skills, robotic surgery and advanced procedures to surgical residents and practicing surgeons. As Commander of the 175 Medical Group, Maryland Air National Guard, Col. Brown led the global engagement of the medical group and its support of the national and worldwide missions of the flying units of the Maryland Air National Guard. Col. Brown's military career started in 1981 as Public Health Officer in the Air Force Reserves at Westover AFB, Massachusetts. Col. Brown was mobilized for Operation Desert Storm in January 1991 and upon his demobilization he promptly commanded a humanitarian mission to Honduras. He joined the 175th Medical Group at Martin State Airport in Middle River in 1997 and led humanitarian missions to Belize, Central America and Huanuco, Peru before being appointed as Medical Commander in 2003. He traveled to Belle Chasse, Louisiana as Commander of over 33 medical personnel working at an EMEDS in support of Hurricane Katrina Relief. In 2006, he led over 50 members of the 175th Medical GroupWing, and Maryland Defense Forces on a 30-day humanitarian mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Col. led the 175th Medical Group to work at a Sioux Indian Reservation in Rosebud, South Dakota in 2007. In recognition of his service above and beyond the call of duty, Col. Brown was awarded the Maryland Distinguished Service Cross at his memorial service in Baltimore. Col. (Dr.) Brown was a brilliant and respected teacher whose volunteerism, dedication, and commitment to the mission of the Defense Institute for Medical Operations helped build and improve the medical capacity of important U.S. allies around the world. He was an envoy of diplomacy thru medicine. He personally taught hundreds of international military and civilian personnel how to develop trauma systems and improve disaster response in countries like Pakistan, Moldova, Chile, and Colombia. Additionally, he conducted three country environmental assessments in Uganda, Cape Verde, and Ghana and participated in an humanitarian mission in Bangladesh for severe flood disaster relief. Dr. Brown was a passionate J22 sailor, racing in the Downtown Sailing Center Limited One Design league in Baltimore for the past 12 years. He co-skippered the league winning boat, Jester, in 2008 wresting away the league racing title from the dynastic boat that had won for the past 4 years. He was a longtime member of the Downtown Sailing Center where he served as a member of the Racing Rules Committee and Race Council. He loved introducing young people to the allure of the Baltimore harbor and the Downtown Sailing Club. Rand Brown was a loving husband, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, who had a love of learning, zest for life and boundless energy. He guided us on many adventures, encouraged us to embrace opportunities with his philosophy "drive fast and take chances". He touched and enriched so many lives through his teaching, mentoring and world wide humanitarian efforts. Wherever he found himself, he was always organizing, always mobilizing, and trying to make the world a better place. He is survived by his wife Kathleen Kalaher, her brother Arthur; his siblings Brenda Micali, H. Keith Brown, Debbie Bambrick and her husband Bill, and Lisa Newberry and her husband Ralph; his 5 nephews and 9 nieces; an uncle and many aunts, cousins, great nephews and great nieces. His physical presence and guidance will be sorely missed; but his spirit will always inspire all who knew him to venture out, explore new realms, and commit themselves to make the world a better place. The family received friends at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc., 1050 York Rd. in Baltimore Md. on Friday Jan. 30th from 3-4 p.m., at which time a Memorial Service was held. Interment will be at 3:00 pm on Saturday February the 7th in Augusta, Georgia at Westover Memorial Cemetery. Reception to follow at St. Mark United Methodist Church at 2365 Washington Rd, in Augusta, Ga. Donations in his memory may be made to one of his favorite humanitarian efforts, the Heifer Project International at www.heifer.org (800-422-0474) or other similar humanitarian efforts. Sign the guestbook at AugustaChronicle.com