LAMAT 25 Delivers Critical Vascular Surgery, Strengthens Readiness in Saint Lucia

Story by Andrea Jenkins

Air Forces Southern

VIEUX FORT, Saint Lucia – The arrival of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) mission 2025 has brought a wave of relief to the island nation of St. Lucia. The mission, which began Feb. 24, represents a collaboration between U.S. Air Force medical professionals and their St. Lucian counterparts, addressing a critical shortage of specialized care while simultaneously honing essential skills for future U.S. military deployments.

At the heart of LAMAT’s St. Lucia mission is the delivery of life-saving vascular surgery, a service currently not available on the island.

“Quite a few patients require fistulas for dialysis, and it has been incredibly difficult for us to provide them access,” said Dr. Richard Burt, a general surgeon at St. Jude Hospital, a vital healthcare center forced to operate out of a repurposed soccer stadium since a fire destroyed its original building in 2009. “The Air Force medical team not only brought expertise but also resources that allowed us to perform these procedures at no cost to the patients.”

The need for vascular surgery is a pressing concern echoed by both St. Lucian and U.S. medical professionals.

“Both major hospitals where we are working, Owen King European Union Hospital and St. Jude Hospital, do not have a vascular surgeon on staff,” explained U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Noll, 349th Medical Squadron commander and vascular surgeon. “That means patients who need critical procedures, like permanent dialysis access, often go without care or have to travel abroad. This is one of the vascular surgical procedures we’re providing here.”

For Noll and the LAMAT team, the mission is twofold: providing essential care while simultaneously sharpening their deployment readiness skills necessary for effective medical response in a variety of challenging scenarios.

“This mission is about readiness,” Noll emphasized. “We’re training in conditions that closely resemble what we might face in a contingency operation – limited equipment, fewer personnel, and a high demand for care. It reinforces our ability to perform under pressure.”

The collaborative spirit between medical professionals has fostered a valuable exchange of knowledge and expertise.

“Inspiration comes from the partner nation teams,” said Noll. “Whereas we oftentimes rely on our technology a little too heavily, we have learned from them that we can take care of more than we thought we could without some of the bells and whistles.

“The teams that we’re working with at St. Jude have done a remarkable job adapting and using what they have,” added Noll. “My team and I have adapted to the limitations of the facility by using ingenuity, realizing that there are some things we don’t necessarily have to have for every case. There is perhaps a little more emphasis on the patient themselves, relying more on physical exam and good history, taking some of the basics that we learned in training that sometimes gets lost with technology and electronic healthcare records.”

St. Lucian doctors, working side-by-side with their U.S. counterparts, are refining techniques and gaining in-depth insight to perform simpler vascular procedures independently.

“There has been a lot of information exchanged,” Burt said. “We’ve shared procedural insights, tips and strategies that will benefit both our teams long after this mission ends. The knowledge exchange and collaboration has been invaluable.”

The demand for care is evident in the crowds gathering outside St. Jude Hospital, drawn by news broadcasts and word-of-mouth accounts of the life-changing procedures being offered.

“This hospital has always been supported by volunteer efforts, and we look forward to these missions,” Burt said. “The community depends on them.”

The impact of LAMAT 2025 extends far beyond the operating room. The mission embodies a commitment to partnership building and a dedication to ensuring operational readiness for any situation.

Col. Noll emphasized that medical readiness is a cornerstone of operational effectiveness. Working alongside St. Lucian partners, he added, ensures both teams and the local healthcare system are better prepared to handle real-world emergencies and disaster response scenarios.

“This LAMAT mission has been outstanding,” said Noll. “We picked up as a team and went to a new environment. We are not always familiar with our surroundings and resources, but we are being put to the test to use the skills and training that we have. We are using those skills to help the host nation and the patients in the area. It prepares us well for the future because we could be deployed to another place where we are forced to adapt to a new environment and limited resources.”

LAMAT 2025 will continue its vital work in St. Lucia until March 8, leaving a legacy of enhanced medical care and strengthened partnerships. The mission will then move on to other Caribbean nations and Guyana, extending its reach and impact throughout the region.