Photo By Cpl. Katherine Solano | Medical staff with the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Support Battalion 11-2, 2nd...... read more read more
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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Surrounded by nothing but sand and mountains, there exists a state-of-the-art medical facility specializing in combat casualties. It has the resources and manpower to treat multiple patients with a wide range of injuries.
In order to take over operations at the Shock Trauma Platoon, hospital corpsmen and varying physicians with the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Support Battalion 11.2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) are conducting their turn over with the medical staff of MSB 11.1 (FWD).
The casualties that are treated at the facility have injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to loss of limbs due to improvised explosive devices. The installation is equipped to handle the majority of these injuries, whether they treat them directly or stabilize the patient in order to transfer them to another base.
According to Cmdr. Christopher M. Herzer, 2nd MLG (FWD) Surgeon, the STP, as a stand-alone unit, has the capability to perform a wide range of non-surgical procedures, such as inserting intubation tubes and providing resuscitative care to patients.
Since the STP has merged its capabilities with those of the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite, they have gained the ability to perform surgeries on site.
“When we came in, we had multiple patients every day for the first three or four days we were here,” said Capt. Andrew Johnson, an emergency medicine physician with the STP at FOB Edinburgh, originally from Austin, Texas. “Instead of just talking about things, we actually got to see the other team do them, and they got to watch us. It was really the best turnover we could hope for, because it wasn’t talk. It was actually putting into practice what they were teaching us.”
Within minutes of the medical staff landing at the base, before their bags had even been off-loaded, casualties were brought into the facility and the sailors rushed to the aid of the corpsmen already in place, eager to help in any way they could.
“I’m very proud of our unit for this,” said Lt. Cmdr. James Gennari, an emergency trauma and intensive care unit Nurse Corps officer with the platoon at FOB Edinburgh. “Our doctors broke off and scrubbed in. Our corpsmen came in, lined up and watched to see how they could help. We had just gotten here. Some of these guys had never seen this before.”
The quick reaction and efficiency of the medical staff with the oncoming unit is a result of extensive communication and training drills. The sailors pride themselves on their ability to work as one cohesive unit.
“Yes, we have doctors, nurses, officers and enlisted, but it’s one team,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Leon Lewis, a hospital corpsman with the STP at FOB Edinburgh, and native of Stone Mountain, Ga. “We work as one, very closely. We let the lines of communication stay open. The only time we aren’t talking is when we are doing patient care.”
Gennari, an East Chicago, Ill., native, added that it’s the cross-training of the unit that allows them to act under pressure so seamlessly.
“We cross train for every nursing position as we also train the corpsmen in everything,” he said.
It is the goal of the unit to be constantly training, conducting drills when they don’t have patients.
“It looks like mass confusion, but it is really very orchestrated, and we have our leaders to thank for that,” concluded Lewis.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2011 09:29 |
| Story ID: | 76742 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF |
| Web Views: | 769 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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