Photo By Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell | U.S. Air Force Maj. Peter Edmonds, pulmonologist assigned to the Lesser Antilles...... read more read more
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CASTRIES, Saint Lucia — A patient struggling to breathe sat inside Owen King European Union Hospital while providers discussed treatment options rarely available on island, as pulmonary specialty care became part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Saint Lucia for the first time.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Peter Edmonds, a pulmonologist assigned to LAMAT 2026, worked alongside Saint Lucian healthcare professionals evaluating respiratory conditions, discussing treatment plans and sharing pulmonary medicine approaches designed to strengthen long-term clinical capability beyond the mission itself.
“St. Lucia does not have any practicing pulmonologists on island, so many patients with complicated lung conditions are managed by physicians here who already do an excellent job caring for them,” Edmonds said. “What we’re able to provide is that extra second opinion and specialty expertise for some of the more challenging pulmonary cases.”
Throughout the mission, Edmonds worked alongside Saint Lucian providers managing patients with asthma, chronic lung disease and other respiratory conditions while exchanging perspectives on treatment approaches and patient care.
“A lot of pulmonary medicine is detective work,” Edmonds said. “You have to learn how people live day to day, what they’re exposed to, what triggers their symptoms and what environmental factors may be affecting their health in order to really understand and treat their lung condition.”
Rather than operating independently, Edmonds integrated directly with local medical teams at OKEU Hospital, using consultations and patient discussions as opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.
“The knowledge exchange goes both ways,” Edmonds said. “Local providers are teaching me things about their patients and their healthcare environment that I wouldn’t know otherwise, and we’re able to work through difficult cases together.”
Dr. Nicole Hunter-Cole, deputy director of clinical support services for Millennium Heights Medical Complex, said the pulmonology support filled a critical need for Saint Lucian providers and patients.
“The pulmonary service is something we do not currently have locally, and we are incredibly grateful for your team,” Hunter-Cole said. “There were 77 pulmonary consultations completed during the mission.”
The mission also created opportunities for more direct patient interaction than Edmonds typically experiences in traditional clinical environments.
“Instead of spending time buried in an electronic medical record, I’m spending almost all of my time face to face with patients,” Edmonds said. “It becomes very relational medicine, and you learn a tremendous amount just by talking with people.”
Edmonds said patient education became a major focus throughout the engagement, particularly for chronic pulmonary diseases that require long-term management after the mission concludes.
“A large part of what we do here is patient education — helping people understand their disease, why medications matter and how to better manage their symptoms,” Edmonds said. “That kind of one-on-one interaction is slow, but it’s incredibly valuable.”
Because follow-on care remains with Saint Lucian providers after the mission ends, Edmonds emphasized the importance of working side-by-side with local medical personnel throughout the engagement.
“A unique aspect of this mission is that follow-on care continues with the Saint Lucian physicians after we leave,” Edmonds said. “That’s why working side by side and carefully documenting not just what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it, is so important.”
Hunter-Cole said the collaboration extended beyond patient care and strengthened professional relationships and healthcare capability across the hospital system.
“Your partnership strengthened not only healthcare delivery, but also the bonds of friendship and solidarity throughout the region,” Hunter-Cole said.
The engagement reflects how LAMAT missions continue adapting to healthcare priorities identified by partner nations while simultaneously strengthening readiness for participating U.S. military medical personnel.
“Coming into an environment where you’re the only specialist providing a service and still meeting very high expectations with limited resources requires flexibility, adaptability and problem solving,” Edmonds said. “Those are critical parts of medical readiness.”
LAMAT 2026 is an Air Forces Southern-led health security cooperation mission conducted alongside Caribbean partner nations to strengthen partnerships, improve interoperability and enhance medical readiness through deliberate side-by-side collaboration.
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2026 21:34 |
| Story ID: | 565100 |
| Location: | CASTRIES, LC |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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