VA doctors’ journey, more than just a commute.
If you've lived in the Lowcountry, you know traffic can be maddening. But for Dr. Phillip DeCubellis, the two-hour drive from Savannah to Charleston to perform surgeries is more than a commute — it's a mission to honor his family's legacy of service and preserve Veterans' mobility.
Dr. DeCubellis drives weekly from his Savannah clinic to Charleston's Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System, where he performs critical surgeries. His reason is straightforward: "We are just trying to do our best for the Veteran."
At the behest of Director Scott Isaacks Dr. DeCubellis took on the position as the director of the Prevention of Amputation in Veterans Everywhere (PAVE) program. Dr. DeCubellis takes a comprehensive approach as he collaborates with mental health teams and smoking cessation programs, helping the VA hospital maintain one of the nation's lowest rates of lower limb amputations through early intervention.
In a letter written to Director Isaacks Marine Veteran Douglas Brugess commented, “He has preformed numerous surgeries on my feet over the years which have kept me walking, without his efforts I would most certainly be wheelchair bound”
His commitment to Veterans runs deep. His father, Germaine DeCubellis, served as a Korean War combat medic and later became a VA patient — inspiration that led the younger DeCubellis to join the VA system.
Military service flows through the DeCubellis family. His cousin, Army 1st Lt. Carmen DeCubellis Jr., died in Vietnam from a rocket-propelled grenade. His great-uncle Ralph Decubellis was killed in action aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts during the Battle off Samar Island in 1944, a crucial World War II engagement in the Philippines.
This heritage of service, coupled with his medical expertise, fuels Dr. DeCubellis's dedication to Veterans' care, creating a living memorial to both his family's sacrifices and those who have served.