Photo By Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell | An ultrasound image is displayed during an echocardiogram with U.S. Air Force Col. Ronald Jones, cardiologist, at Owen King European Union hospital in Castries, Saint Lucia, April 29, 2026. The procedure was performed as part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026 mission, which supports host-nation healthcare systems by addressing high-demand services and strengthening health security cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell). This image was altered to protect patient information. see less
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U.S. Air Force cardiologist helps expand capability in Saint Lucia
“Rock the probe back a little. There you go. Now rotate slightly and adjust your angle. Perfect.”
Inside a small examination room at St. Jude Hospital, U.S. Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Alec Sharp guided Saint Lucian medical personnel through the subtle movements needed to capture a clear cardiac ultrasound image.
The training was part of the 2026 Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, an Air Forces Southern-led health security cooperation engagement focused on strengthening medical readiness and partner nation capability across the Caribbean.
Sharp, a cardiologist, arrived in Saint Lucia expecting to spend much of the mission seeing patients alongside local providers. After recognizing an opportunity to strengthen long-term cardiac imaging capability inside the hospital, however, he shifted his focus toward teaching Saint Lucian clinicians how to independently perform and interpret bedside cardiac ultrasounds.
Col. Brian Gavitt, Air Forces Southern command surgeon, said the effort reflected a broader focus on sustainable capability development rather than short-term patient volume alone.
“What he’s doing is training the trainer,” Gavitt said. “He’s helping create a sustainable skill set that stays here after the mission ends.”
Saint Lucian providers explained that while ultrasound capability already exists within the hospital system, advanced cardiac imaging and echocardiography views remain an area still being developed because of high patient volume and limited opportunities for hands-on repetition.
Throughout the training sessions, providers gathered around the ultrasound machine, asking questions, practicing probe placement and working through real-time scans alongside Sharp. The exchanges regularly evolved into collaborative discussions as providers compared techniques and reviewed patient findings together.
Sharp said the first day focused on classroom instruction and fundamentals before transitioning into hands-on repetition with patients over the following days.
“This is one of those skills that really requires hands-on practice to build confidence,” Sharp said. “Once people understand the concepts and gain confidence, they can train the next group.”
The training quickly demonstrated operational value.
“We had a patient with a murmur, and during the ultrasound we discovered a 6.4-centimeter ascending aortic aneurysm,” Sharp said. “He may not have known about it otherwise. It completely changed the course of his treatment.”
For Sharp, moments like that reinforced the importance of ensuring local providers leave confident using the equipment after the mission ends.
“We saw 26 patients yesterday, but my major focus is making sure these providers are comfortable after we’re gone,” Sharp said. “Seeing patients is important, but sustainability is the real priority.”
Hospital personnel at St. Jude said the added capability could help address growing demand within the facility, which supports much of southern Saint Lucia and receives referrals from smaller clinics and health centers across the island.
Providers also described the challenges of operating in a resource-constrained environment where emergency medical transport capabilities remain limited and patient travel times can vary significantly because of the island’s terrain and road network.
For U.S. Air Force medical personnel participating in the mission, those realities also provide valuable readiness experience.
“We learn from this too,” Gavitt said. “For our medics, this is an opportunity to learn how to operate with limited resources and adapt in different environments.”
Saint Lucian medical leaders said the collaboration extended beyond patient care by helping build provider confidence and strengthening capability within the hospital.
“The team did not only serve with us; they taught us as well,” said Dr. Adelaide Mooney, clinical director at St. Jude Hospital. “We performed 36 echocardiograms and saw 55 cardiology patients over three days. Each one represented care, patience and confidence.”
Mooney also highlighted Sharp’s commitment to continuing patient care and training efforts through the end of the mission.
“As a testament to his dedication and commitment, Dr. Sharp volunteered to miss the mission’s closing ceremony to complete some of the work we started and to attend to outstanding patients.”
For both U.S. and Saint Lucian providers, the engagement reflected the broader goal of LAMAT 2026: strengthening partnerships while building lasting medical capability through shared experience and knowledge exchange.
“It’s about leaving it better than we found it,” Gavitt said. “You teach one group, and then they go train the next group,” Sharp said. “That’s how capability grows.”
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