The team of three resident physicians, one staff family medicine physician, one staff pediatrician and one medical technician educated Honduran marines on stabilizing and transporting casualties out of danger and to the nearest medical facility.

The Honduran marines are responsible for providing 250,000 citizens with medical care. Together, they saved 10 lives while assisting treatment of 368. Eighty-four patients were seen and evaluated in pediatric emergency department, where 76 patients delivered babies.

The ‘Might Medics’ aided the marines and gained experience in low-resource environment to imitate a possible deployment. They learned to control a hemorrhage with makeshift tourniquets and how to position a casualty for airway management. This allows resident physicians to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements for training and staff physicians their credited maintenance and resource professional training requirements, which may be difficult to meet in an average American clinic.

“It allows us to practice and develop skills for practicing in environment that don’t have all the technology we generally do here in the states,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Cagle, 55th Medical Group director of medical education. “We were also there to learn from each other on how to approach and practice medicine in environments we aren’t used to being in.” 

Some of the team members volunteered for this mission, but they did not realize the trials awaiting them in Honduras.

“Some challenges included no access to a CT-scanner, which is standard in just about anywhere in the U.S.,” Cagle said. “We relied on exam skills, x-ray; and more heavily on Point-of-Care ultrasound, which is easily transported and can fit in a pocket. We also had minimal access to blood products and needed to rely heavily on discontinuing and controlling bleeding.” 

Another limitation was access to blood products. The hospital was not equipped for massive transfusions-patients were limited to one unit. Afterwards, if the patient required more blood, then the family would have to donate blood at the local red cross.

Senior Airman Behula Asuncion Avila, 55th HCOS medical technician, arrived in Honduras to provide medical treatment to the locals, but her Spanish speaking background allowed her to provide better care as it broke down language barriers.

“Personally, there were times during the workdays that I was able not only be a translator but put my medical technician training to use and that was always very exciting,” Avila said. “I felt like a mini octopus, simultaneously handing tools to my providers, holding pressure on wounds, and translating amongst the doctors as well as the patients during high intensity situations.”

Even with the challenges, the team would like to participate in another mission.

“The experience was fantastic,” said Capt. Chance Cosgriff, 55th HCOS family medicine resident physician. “Seeing the doctors work without many of the things we take to granted here, without thinking twice, was awesome.