Deborah Lynn Mueller, MD, a prominent Trauma Surgeon and Critical Care Physician at UT Health San Antonio passed away in her home on February 10, 2023.  She was 56.

Dr. Mueller was born in Georgia into a military family and attended college with an ROTC scholarship at University of South Carolina.  She obtained her medical degree from Medical University of South Carolina and successfully completed a general surgery residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB.  She pursued a Trauma and Surgical Critical Care fellowship at UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital, after which she returned to Wilford Hall as attending faculty for nine years.  During this time, she assumed leadership positions, traveled internationally on numerous medical missions and deployments, participated in training a generation of military surgeons, received a faculty appointment at UT Health Sciences Center San Antonio, and retired from the USAF in 2007 achieving the rank of Colonel, United States Air Force.

She accepted a faculty position at UTHSCSA under Dr. Ronald Stewart as a trauma and critical care surgeon and rose to full professor.  She was recognized for her clinical expertise in the Trauma Room, Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit. She was known as the faculty who would care for the most complex patients restoring them to health.  She was well known for her research efforts and publications, including topics on pediatric trauma.  She was a passionate advocate for residents, creating and nurturing the UT Department of Surgery's Wellness initiatives. In the institution, she was known to approach every problem with intellectual discipline yet was more known for the love and compassion at the core of every choice.  She helped countless people in need, and maintained long term relationships with many. This includes one pregnant woman hit by a car who underwent emergency operations and delivery of her baby, with both going home in two weeks, as well as discovering a rare diagnosis in a patient and being a part in saving his life and returning him to previous health.

She was an avid traveler, reaching all seven continents, and 36 countries, including performing surgeries on Easter Island, teaching in Vladivostok, missionary work in Mauritius, and research efforts in Antarctica. Over Christmas 2022, she enjoyed extensive hiking with her family in New Zealand.  Following her return from the Homeward Bound Antarctica research program in 2019, she became a staunch advocate for women, helping other female faculty navigate the UT promotions programs, ensuring fair pay, and providing life guidance and creating endowments supporting women surgeons.  She also became more active in preservation of the planet through recycling and renewable energy efforts.  Following her diagnosis of lobular breast cancer, she became significantly involved with the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance, an organization necessary to advance research on this less common and less well understood breast cancer, accepting a position on the Executive Board.  She was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Women in Surgery, and Society of Critical Care Medicine, and served a term as president of the King William Association.

She is survived by her husband, John J. Doski, MD, her daughters Sarah Claire and Julia Anne, her mother Mildred Pell Mueller and father Donald Mueller MAJ USAF (ret), and siblings Janet, Donald Jr and Heather.  In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be guided to the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance ( www.lobularbreastcancer.org ) or Homeward Bound program.  (https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/donate/)

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.