Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Visit

November 21, 2007

 

While on our trip to Germany, Maria and I had the opportunity to visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.  We wanted to see first-hand what Landstuhl was like, especially considering my past trips to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) and Balboa Naval Hospital during Operation Wounded Warrior.  As with past experiences with military medical facilities over many years in my career in the Air Force, I was impressed by Landstuhl in both appearance and the attitudes of those working there.

 

Landstuhl is the first American hospital that each of our Wounded Warriors coming in from Iraq and Afghanistan are treated for their wounds.  Landstuhl acts like a triage center of sorts, determining who needs more intense treatment at stateside hospitals like BAMC, Walter Reed, Bethesda, or Balboa, and which ones can be treated and sent back to their units.  Two planes every day, one from Iraq and one from Afghanistan, land at Ramstein Air Base with troops needing medical care that cannot be obtained in theater.  From Ramstein, the Wounded Warriors are transported by Med-Evac buses to Landstuhl, where they are met by an incredible group of people, representing all services, who process the wounded into the hospital.  These Wounded Warriors make up approximately 40% of the workload at the hospital.

 

We happened to arrive when the welcome team was waiting for the arrival of some wounded troops.  We spoke briefly to a Navy Chaplain, one of nine chaplains assigned to the hospital, who gave us the basics of how the troops arrive and the welcome they get.  Every soldier arriving is met by one of the chaplains without fail.  Having seen my share of wounded troops at BAMC and Balboa, I really didn’t want to hang around long when the troops arrived; the hospital staff would be busy enough without us getting in the way.  Instead, we headed into the hospital to get more information.

         

The hospital is extremely protective of the privacy of the troops coming in from the war, something that I totally understand.  Visitors are not allowed unless they are family members or in the direct military chain of command.  Many of the incoming wounded will only be at Landstuhl for a few days; just long enough to be stabilized enough for the long flight back to the states.  Talking with Air Force Chaplain, Erik Harp, this constant stream of troops coming in and going out, wears on the staff, considering that they will never know the outcome of those who make it back to the states.  Yet they press on, taking care of our comrades, day in and day out.  The people who staff Landstuhl are simply incredible people.

 

We were given a tour of the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center by TSgt Debbra Mansfield, an Ohio Air National Guard member who volunteered for a six-month stint at Landstuhl.  An entire wing of the hospital set aside for the spiritual well-being of our troops.  This is where the help of people who donate to the hospital comes into play.

 

Wounded Warriors coming in from Iraq and Afghanistan generally come in with the clothes on their backs, and nothing more, and Landstuhl does not have a Solders and Family Support Center like the one at BAMC.  Instead, the Chaplain staff collects, screens, and distributes donated items to the wounded troops, their family members, and those who are supporting the efforts at the hospital.  The Wounded Warrior Ministry Center provides clothing, lap-blankets, pillows, and a variety of personal comfort items that the troops can keep as they recover from their injuries.  This is above and beyond what the hospital provides.

 

The Center has a room called the Chaplains Closet where wounded troops can pick up items they need for their daily needs, and for those who cannot get around easily, staff members from the Center, cart around items from room to room.  The Center keeps a box of single shoes because shoe manufactures don’t think to sell shoes in less than a pair.  That might seem insignificant to most people, but to an amputee, it’s looked at in a different light.

 

Leadership at Landstuhl has taken steps to enhance the capabilities of the hospital, and is now considered a Level II trauma center.  Because of the type of injuries coming in, the hospital now has a brain surgeon on staff, and an expert on burn injuries who is actually part of the BAMC medical team.  At times, local German civilian doctors volunteer their expertise should Landstuhl not have a specific capability; German ambulances stand by in case someone needs immediate care at a Level I trauma center and can’t wait for the long trip to the states.

 

One item that I found interesting, and quite proud of, was that Romanian soldiers, as well as other coalition forces are also sent to Landstuhl.  Many stay at Landstuhl for their entire recuperation before being sent to their home countries.  Just like the family members I spoke about at BAMC during Operation Wounded Warrior, family members from all countries come to Landstuhl to stay with, and help, their loved ones.  It is a testament to the American military medical community that foreign troops are cared for by U.S. forces instead of being evacuated to their home countries from the war zone.

 

Because of the high cost of lodging in Germany, the Fisher Foundation has built two Fisher Houses at Landstuhl, the only Fisher Houses located outside the United States.  The houses are open to any family member who needs a place to stay, regardless of their country of origin.  When we visited the Fisher House, there was a man from Arizona who was helping with his son.  I found it ironic that our trip to BAMC also involved an Arizona family, whose fortitudes cannot be overstated.

 

Although the hospital accepts donated items, the cost of shipping items overseas is often cost-prohibitive for large private donations.  Many of the donated items are shipped directly from vendors to the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center.  Just like Operation Wounded Warrior to BAMC and Balboa, Landstuhl is in constant need of phone cards and gift cards, with two distinct differences; they need international phone cards, and gift cards need to be from AAFES instead of the Wal-Mart cards that we’ve been providing in the states.

 

Parting thoughts:  Operation Wounded Warrior started with one Post in Arizona making a small difference at BAMC.  OWW has now spread to four Departments covering three hospitals.  As more people sign on to the idea of “adopting” a local military or veteran’s hospital for OWW, I hope they will consider “adopting” Landstuhl and set some money aside to send AAFES gift cards to the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center.

 

Grass-roots efforts and personal visits will always have more meaning than huge corporate sponsored programs because of the human element involved.  Sure, money is great, but the next time you are traveling, think about dropping in on our comrades in the military or VA hospitals.  The folks in these facilities appreciate the concerns and the thoughts.

 

For God and Country

 

"Doc" (aka Vic Moss)

Commander, Paradise Post 149