GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Being a doctor isn’t easy. Neither is serving in the armed forces. At Corewell Health they have a physician doing both, seeing patients in Grand Rapids and in the United States Navy.
“I come from a very long line of people that have been in the military,“ said Dr. Eryn Hart. She knows the importance of serving our country.
“My grandpa was a Purple Heart. My uncles and father were both in the Navy and then my dad retired from the Navy as a lieutenant commander,” said Dr. Hart.
She joined the Navy too; it helped her pay for medical school.
“Then, in turn, I served four years to pay back that debt, and then continued on and stayed in the Navy for another six years active duty,” said Dr. Hart.
For the last three years, she has been a doctor at Corewell Heath.
Dr. Hart said, “My main role is, I am a maternal-fetal medicine physician, so we take care of high-risk pregnancies.”
Dr. Hart is still serving; she was recently promoted to captain in the Navy Reserves.
“I'm actually the chief medical officer for NMRTC Camp Lejeune. So, it's basically supporting the Camp Lejeune hospital and Navy Reserve unit,” said Dr. Hart.
Her military service includes three days every month in North Carolina and for two weeks once a year.
Dr. Hart said, “I was fortunate enough to recently get sent on a humanitarian mission to the South Pacific and went to Vietnam over the summer.”
She says balancing two jobs is challenging but fully understands the meaning of service.
“I'm actually honoring my ancestors, because I'm also the only female that's ever served in my family, and I'm the only one in my generation that has served in the military, and I may be the last,” said Dr. Hart.
The doctor says she plans on retiring from the Navy in five or six years. Her next call to duty will be in December.
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