Role 3 Hospital

My job in Kandahar is to be a “trauma team leader” (or TTL for short) in the ER. As a referral trauma center for a large part of Afghanistan (and for all of Afghanistan for some needed specialties), we are considered a “Role 3 Hospital.” We function like a Level I trauma center back home. However, since our priority is trauma, we get to turf almost all non-trauma illnesses to the urgent care. Patients with heart attacks and other serious illnesses still come to us, as well as POI (or point of injury) trauma patients and trauma transfers from other places. We get locals as well.

I knew it was going to be a great work environment when I got my first trauma and the translator shows up in an Arizona Wildcats T-shirt! What are the odds of that?? I don’t think he even has a clue where Arizona is, but I figured it still had to be a good sign. (I only showed the shirt as I did not want to show his face since the local nationals helping us are not exactly well thought of by the Taliban.)

The staff decided since were on for 24 hours and could not get to the DFAC for Taco Tuesday, then we would bring Taco Tuesday to us! When the XO started to bring a group through the ER on a tour, I quickly jumped up and pulled the curtain around our little “fiesta” going on.

I realize that my job will not be like this most of the time, but it certainly was a great welcome and a great way to start!