UNITED FRONT

Meet Clare Carney, MD, PhD. Just back from Poland after serving in Alabama’s National Guard for four dark months away from her practice, patients and family, we not only salute her, we adore her! As half of what we call the “Carney Duo,” she’s married to Dr. Jack Carney and together they’re raising two active boys, Jacob, 15, and Max, 13, and curating a beautiful home, art collection, and life. Safely home, she opens up about her boots-on-the-ground experience, her newfound appreciation for family, sunshine, sushi, and women’s health in general.

By Hayley Hill Photos Layla Lambert, L-egantPortraits.com
Makeup Courtney Matthews Makeup Artistry, Cocokat1978@gmail.com Hair Felisha Allen, Identity Salon, 251.478.2409

It’s hard not to have mad respect for this petite powerhouse. As an in-demand physician at Alabama Medical Group, she’s not only killing it at motherhood, she’s also happily married and a Major in the Alabama National Guard. Born in Beeville, Texas, Clare grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and later moved to Mobile, where she attended McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. She later went on to further her education by earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Alabama, as well as a PhD, in Chemistry from Vanderbilt University—now that’s what I call a whole lot of schooling!

 Being patriotic and looking at a lot of debt, she explains, “I joined the National Guard while in medical school as a way to help pay for my education. At the time, the Guard paid us a stipend while in school. Other branches paid more, but with the Guard I could go to any residency program, military or not, and live where I wanted. The other branches generally send students to military residency programs around the country, and I knew I didn’t want to only serve the young, relatively healthy military population. I wanted experience with the more complex general population that included the young and old. It was appealing that I was also exempt from deployment while in school and during my residency.”

 Since joining the military, Clare’s been called to active duty twice. Once in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, where she worked with the state surgeon helping with the Force Health Protection program. This is one of the U.S. Army's most critical priorities, as they have a responsibility to keep the forces medically ready and protected from health and safety threats, both on and off-duty. And she’s just returned from a tour of duty in Poland. With the crisis taking place in Ukraine that’s dominating the headlines, we’re all ears about her recent journey.

 Diving in, she jokes about her deployment, “It’s a bit like deciding when to have a baby—there’s never really a perfect time!” Getting serious, she adds, “I was in Poland to provide medical care to United States soldiers participating in a yearly project called Atlantic Resolve, where troops from all over the world come together to train. They learn about each other, how to work with soldiers from other countries, and how to work together on the battlefield in a more cohesive manner. You’re definitely hearing about this on the news! Interestingly, this has been an active program for years. There are 8–10 Forward Operating Sites (FOS) in Poland and several in Romania and other small countries surrounding Russia. For years, the US has been building this as a protective measure against potential aggression from the East. During my deployment, I was there for the buildup of troops and worked with five other healthcare providers to run a Level II Medical Clinic, which is like an Urgent Care on the military base.”

 I was curious about her living conditions and how they differed to what we are all accustomed to. When asked, she shares, “I was gone for four months and spent three of those months with boots on the ground in Powidz, Poland, at Baza 33—this is a Polish Airbase that’s located in a very small town. I stayed in an old no-frills military barracks. I was fortunate as the other option was a tent and it’s winter there. With the water mostly off between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., a hot shower was almost like Russian roulette. I’d contemplate the risk before shampooing as at any minute the water could turn ice-cold or just off. And the plumbing is something I’ll never forget—even flushing toilets was a gamble. And of course, the DFAC (military meals) left a lot to be desired. I’ve never missed sushi so much in my entire life!”

 As for the Polish people, she says, “Wow. To witness firsthand the efforts and sacrifices of the Polish people to help Ukrainian refugees was simply incredible. Polish mothers were leaving strollers full of diapers and formula at the train stations for the fleeing Ukrainian mothers. All around me, the Polish citizens were creating fundraisers such as concerts to get supplies over the border. Even our translators were making runs to pick up Ukrainian families from the train stations to drive total strangers as close as they could to their next destination. It was amazing to see everyone united in trying to help, which made it was hard to leave knowing I could’ve been even more helpful as a civilian in terms of assisting the refugees. This is something I struggled with.”

 Missing out on everything from Christmas with family to enjoying decent meals, Clare was able to carve out joy. “Wandering around my little town, I was able to find small restaurants that served meals as good as any five-star restaurant I’ve been to. The Polish people love to celebrate. I’ll never forget the New Year’s Eve fireworks display—it was so big and beautiful!”

 With an eight-hour time difference, calls home we’re difficult, but her passion for reading was her saving grace during the lonely hours. Regarding the winter, she tells us, “I really noticed the absence of sunshine. We’re so lucky to have clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine in Mobile. The sun came up around 9:30 a.m. and was gone by 3 p.m. each day. The brightest day there was like a dark and gloomy winter day at home. Talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder and vitamin-D deficiency—it was depressing! The locals burned fossil fuels to keep their homes warm, so a thick black smoke always filled the sky.”

 Feeling grateful that what she faced in terms of medical care was manageable, Clare turned her focus to returning home. “Missing your own family while watching other families endure unimaginable hardships was tough. I can honestly say I know how lucky I am and that motivated me to help all I could. When it came time to return home, I first had to go to demobilization at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, for check-ups and debriefing. Once home, I had just over a week before returning to work, which was great since I got to spend much-needed time with my family.”

 Coming home was quite an adjustment, too. “While my arrival was happy, it was hard because I knew I couldn’t just come back in and immediately make changes, as my family had formed their own routines. They say it’s common for military people to feel like their place has been usurped or that they’re not necessary. But, I also knew it is just part of the readjustment process of a soldier,” she observes.

 That’s where her husband Jack comes in. “Jack was my rock while I was gone. Not only did he ensure my kids were fed, gotten to school, did their homework, and made it to cross country practice and meets, he took care of my parents and brother as well. This took a huge burden off of me while I was away,” she shares.  

 As the other half of this duo, Jack is also impressive. A Mobilian, Jack met Clare when they we’re both just 16 (on her actual birthday!) Off at college, the couple began dating and she says, “Jack and I went to grad school at the same time, so we both had similar schedules, which was nice. We’re able to play off each other’s strengths, which makes us a strong team.” Jack earned the letters PhD like Clare, and is a licensed psychologist. His business, Clarity Health, provides insightful phycological evaluations and consultations. His scope is wide and encompasses everything from diagnosis to determining aspects related to child custody, parenting capacity, ADHD, and criminal evaluations.

 Jack details life at home with Clare gone, saying, “’Divide and conquer’ has been a recurring theme in our household. In my wife’s absence, I no longer had my best friend to divide and conquer the homework, carpool, etc.  When I felt stretched too thin, I just reminded myself ‘to be good enough,’ not perfect. Giving myself some grace allowed me to dial down some of my own anxiety. Using chores as an opportunity to grow closer with my boys was also an upside. No longer ‘divide and conquer,’ it became ‘Let’s work together and talk while folding the laundry and loading the dishwasher as a team.’ Clare’s deployment was a reminder that you can build happiness and relationships in other areas of your life, even amid uncertainty, if you allow yourself to do so.”

 In her civilian life, Clare is known as Dr. Carney and works as an internal medicine physician at Alabama Medical Group in Mobile. As for her call to medicine, she adds, “I love people and science. Medicine is a great combination of the two. I get to be a bit of a body mechanic—figuring out what’s going on and finding a resolution.” A physician and a girly-girl herself, she does it all, including Botox, dermal fillers, and PRP hair restoration treatments, to name a few. Speaking from personal experience, her work is flawless and she’s definitely the kind of physician who gives her patients the time and individualized care they deserve.

 Clare is also quite the women’s health advocate and shares, “Many women put off routine screenings and tests since the pandemic and are now overwhelmed by all the appointments they need to make. If there’s a family history (mother, sister, aunt) of breast cancer, a mammogram should be a top priority. It’s time we all get back on the prevention horse. Start by asking your doctor which ones are most critical for you.”

 Another priority, especially for those living on the Gulf Coast, is skin cancer screenings. “I advise annual screenings starting as young as 20. If you’ve had skin cancers treated, a lot of sun exposure (especially when younger), or a family history, it’s even more important to go once a year. Colon cancer screenings are now recommended at 45 years of age, and this is one people often put off. But if you’ve ever seen someone suffer with colon cancer, you’ll quickly accept the embarrassment,” she explains with a bit of humor.

 Being married to a psychologist means she’s naturally a mental health advocate. “Impacted by the pandemic, depression and anxiety are the top complaints in terms of mental health. Going hand in hand with this is chronic fatigue, insomnia, and socializing issues, which in turn make the depression and anxiety worse. When we’re separated from one another, we cease to see a common ground and tend to focus on our differences. It’s crucial for people to see each other face to face so we remember we are all the same.” Clare emphasizes.

 Addressing work-life balance, she adds, “Many patients (especially women) struggle with this. I think we try to meet a standard of keeping the house clean, the kids set for school, and cooking dinner on top of working outside the home. We often have a hard time saying ‘no,’ which results in putting our own healthcare needs on the back burner. This flows into how we eat, exercise, and take time to relax, which leaves us sleep-deprived, worsening the anxiety and depression.”

 It’s clear from visiting the Carney’s home that they’ve prioritized and created a place for rest, peace, and family relating. While it’s high design at its finest, it’s deeply personal with meaningful art pieces and comfy furnishings for teenage gatherings. There’s also the computer room where Jack and the boys spend time together on their supervised devices, and, yes, time-limited phones. For Clare, she gets her rest and relaxation in her “no boys allowed” sewing room. So, from Star Wars light saber wars to workouts in their fully equipped home gym and outdoor family runs, the Carney Duo have quite possibly figured out their happily ever after.

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