Surgeon Sharpens Skills with SCALPEL

ARABIAN SEA

05.15.2019

Courtesy Story

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)

The secondary mission of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships is casualty receiving. Usually a fleet surgical team (FST) embarks these ships for deployments to augment the capabilities of the indigenous medical department, bringing skills such as trauma surgery and mental health services. But with a lack of major cases, these specialists often find themselves with more downtime than usual and a challenge to maintain their proficiency.
Lt. Cmdr. Pete Allen, a surgeon assigned to FST 2, embarked aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), came up with a creative solution that benefits both his team and the ship’s crew.
Allen created a “surgical clinic afloat” known as SCALPEL.
“We (FST) trained together in the shipboard surgical trauma where we learned how to take care of catastrophes,” Allen said. “Thankfully, we haven’t seen catastrophic trauma here on deployment so we use SCALPEL as a way to keep up our skills. It helps us simulate on a smaller scale what we would be doing as a surgical team, since we can’t really practice major cases.”
The services Allen and his SCALPEL team provide are minor procedures, mostly addressing dermatological issues.
“If the patient has an unsightly skin lesion or a mole they’re concerned could be cancerous, we remove those growths for anybody who wants it,” Allen said. “Then we send them to be looked at by a pathologist to see if there’s anything inside that’s concerning.”
The clinic not only helps Allen and his team, but provides an expedited service to the Sailors and Marines aboard Kearsarge. With the usual process for these procedures being an appointment with one’s primary care physician for a referral to a dermatologist, and then a referral to consult a surgeon with a waiting period for the procedure, SCALPEL cuts out the middlemen.
“SCALPEL provides the ship with the capability and convenience to get procedures done quicker than they would normally back at home,” Allen said. “Here, they can just come in and see me any time and I’m happy to help out.”
Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Corey Gambirazio, a patient of Allen’s, agreed.
“It’s great that these procedures are provided on the ship,” Gambirazio said. “I came in for my appointment to be seen by Lt. Cmdr. Allen and the very next day I had my procedure done. It was a very quick and easy process.”
Allen did not know at first how popular the clinic would be, but he said the participation has more than validated the work behind it.
“We have had to expand, and now were seeing referrals pretty frequently, so it’s kind of taken hold and we help a lot of people. We setup the clinic three days a week right now and were increasing to four days a week soon. Most days we see between three and six patients.”
If soaring numbers aren’t enough proof of success, many Sailors and Marines have expressed their gratitude for the services Allen and his team provide.
“I’ve had multiple patients thank me in passing,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Michael Donadio, senior enlisted leader of FST 2, who assists with the surgeries. “They let me know they’re healing well and they appreciate what we do. Our appointments come through by word of mouth. We’ve never had to advertise. The patients we’ve treated talk to future patients, and that keeps our appointments booked.”
Allen plans to continue providing SCALPEL services to the crew for the duration of deployment, with designs to expand the range of services.
Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

• Date Taken: 05.15.2019
• Date Posted: 05.19.2019 07:35
• Story ID: 322968
• Location: ARABIAN SEA