A Coast Guard flight surgeon checks a newborn's vital signs aboard a 41-foot response boat during a medical evacuation from a cruise ship off the coast of San Diego. The baby was born aboard the ship and transported with its mother and grandmother to emergency medical personnel in San Diego. Three-quarters of the 63 physicians in the service are flight surgeons. Their primary duty is assessing the fitness of all aircrew members for flight duty. They also assess the impact of flight on individual patients. These doctors stand duty for regional medical emergency evacuation calls and participate in aviation mishap investigations. US Coast Guard Art Program 2012 Collection, Ob ID # 201212, "Tender care," Karen Loew, oil, 24 x 18
