WarDocs - The Military Medicine Podcast
Health & Fitness:Medicine
After a life-altering injury in Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Labra, MD, FAAFP, found himself on the other side of the Military Health System, navigating treatment and recovery as a patient. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Labra shares his first-hand experiences of evacuation, treatment in a war zone, and the challenges and triumphs he encountered along the way. Join us as he opens up about his journey and how it ultimately inspired him to pursue a medical career.
From the point of injury to rehabilitation, Dr. Labra's story highlights the incredible work of healthcare professionals in difficult situations, as well as the importance of advocacy and understanding for patients within the Military Health System. As a family physician, he shares how his time as a patient influenced his approach to practicing medicine and the role primary care physicians play in advocating for their patients and providing continuity of care.
Don't miss out on this unique perspective from a physician who has experienced both sides of the Military Healthcare System. Dr. Labra's experience offers invaluable insights into the challenges faced by patients and healthcare providers in a war zone and how his journey has shaped his approach to medicine. Tune in to hear his inspiring story and learn more about the importance of patient advocacy and continuity of care.
Chapters:
(0:00:00) - Combat Experience and Military Healthcare
(0:03:57) - Military Health Care and Deployment Injuries
(0:11:33) - War Zone Evacuation and Medical Care
(0:19:19) - Injury Treatment and Recovery Experience
(0:30:26) - From Warfighter to Doctor
(0:36:41) - Career in Military Medicine
Chapter Summaries:
(0:00:00) - Combat Experience and Military Healthcare (4 Minutes)
We welcome LTC Christian Labra MD, FAAFP to WarDocs to discuss his unique experience of encountering the Military Health System as a patient when he was injured as a Field Artillery officer on a patrol in Iraq. We hear about his care from the point of injury through evacuation to treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation, and how this experience led him to pursue a career in medicine and impacted his perspective and caring for Wounded Warriors. We also discuss how his journey to joining the Army and how the world changed after 9-11 impacted his career.
(0:03:57) - Military Health Care and Deployment Injuries (8 Minutes)
Dr. Labra's experience with the Military began at West Point and continued on active duty. He was assigned to a Field Artillery battalion in Baumholder, Germany, and later deployed to Iraq in 2003. He shares the story of his injury while on the deployment and the circumstances that led up to it.
(0:11:33) - War Zone Evacuation and Medical Care (8 Minutes)
Dr. Labra's experience with the Military Health System as a patient is discussed. From the initial diagnosis by a medic in the field to the care he received at the Baghdad ER, the unique circumstances of his evacuation and treatment are explored. The challenges of being a patient in a war zone and the impact of the lack of pain medication and medical records are discussed. The effects of his injuries, the measures taken to treat them, and the care he received in the operating room are also discussed.
(0:19:19) - Injury Treatment and Recovery Experience (11 Minutes)
Chris shares his experience with the Military Health System as a patient. He begins with his care in Baghdad and the surgeries he had in Germany. He speaks of the kindness of healthcare workers like Parker Hahn, and Ann Shields, the labor and delivery nurse whose daughter attended West Point and helped sponsor his family, as well as his surgeon John Friedland. He reflects on his unique experience of staying at Baumholder, which was both a gift and a challenge. We explore the system's blind spots and the casualties of the process when providing medical care abroad.
(0:30:26) - From Warfighter to Doctor (6 Minutes)
Chris shares his unique experience with the Military Health System as a patient. He was called to help, giving him purpose and a sense of being helpful. A series of unfortunate events led to him becoming an expert in the medical evacuation process. His surgeon came back to Landstuhl, and he spent a month there, which opened up many opportunities for him. He felt so indebted to the Military Health System and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his mentors to pursue a career in medicine.
(0:36:41) - Career in Military Medicine (12 Minutes)
We discuss how Dr. Labra’s injury led him to pursue family medicine over orthopedic surgery or urology and the advantages of being a primary care physician when it comes to providing continuity of care and advocating for patients. He shares his perspective on PTSD, the hospital system, and how being a patient gave him a level of skepticism and protection from falling into medical traps. Finally, we discuss his assignment at Landstuhl and how it gave him a chance to take care of evacuations from the theaters of war.
Episode Keywords: Military Healthcare, Patient Advocacy, Injury Treatment, Recovery Experience, Evacuation, Wounded Warrior, War Zone, Medical Care, Primary Care Physicians, Continuity of Care, PTSD, Hospital System, Combat Experience, Deployment Injuries, West Point, Baghdad ER, Landstuhl, Orthopedic Surgery, Urology
Hashtags: #wardocs #military #medicine #podcast #MilitaryHealthcare #WarZoneMedicine #PatientAdvocacy #ContinuityOfCare #InspiringJourney #HealingWarriors #PhysicianPerspective #FromInjuredToHealer #WoundedWarrior
Honoring the Legacy and Preserving the History of Military Medicine
The WarDocs Mission is to honor the legacy, preserve the oral history, and showcase career opportunities, unique expeditionary experiences, and achievements of Military Medicine. We foster patriotism and pride in Who we are, What we do, and, most importantly, How we serve Our Patients, the DoD, and Our Nation.
Find out more and join Team WarDocs at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/
Check our list of previous guest episodes at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/episodes
Listen to the “What We Are For” Episode 47. https://bit.ly/3r87Afm
WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast is a Non-Profit, Tax-exempt-501(c)(3) Veteran Run Organization run by volunteers. All donations are tax-deductible and go to honoring and preserving the history, experiences, successes, and lessons learned in Military Medicine. A tax receipt will be sent to you.
WARDOCS documents the experiences, contributions, and innovations of all military medicine Services, ranks, and Corps who are affectionately called "Docs" as a sign of respect, trust, and confidence on and off the battlefield, demonstrating dedication to the medical care of fellow comrades in arms.
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LTC(R) Steve Peth- MEDEVAC Pilot in Vietnam discusses Casualty Evacuation and Training Pilots for Combat Missions
Col (Ret) Donald Jenkins, MD – Air Force Trauma Surgeon leading the way with the Joint Trauma System and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Trauma.
LTG(R) Ronald Blanck, DO – From Vietnam Battalion Surgeon to Surgeon General of The US Army
CAPT (R) James Cole, MD- Trauma Surgeon serves with Seal Team 6 in Iraq and as Marine Expeditionary Surgeon in Iraq and Afghanistan
COL Jeremy Pamplin, MD- Understanding How Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Augment Battlefield and Rural Medicine
COL (R) Sean Keenan, MD- Special Operations Doc: Training and Execution of Tactical Combat Casualty Care at the Point of Injury
MAJ (R) Bill Vasios, MPAS, APA-C - Special Operations Enlisted to Officer: Developing Ultrasound and Telemedicine for the Battlefield
Sergeant Rob Jones, USMC(Ret): SURVIVE-RECOVER-LIVE-A Wounded Warrior with Bilateral Above-Knee Amputations Reflects on his Journey From Injury to Recovery
COL(R) Charles R. Scoville, DPT- Applying Lessons Learned in War to Improve Amputee Care
LTC (Ret) Jim Reed, CRNA- Special Operations Nurse Anesthetist and Veteran Suicide Prevention Advocate
COL Kirby Gross, MD- Insights and Perspectives on the Deployed Trauma System From an Innovative and Humble Leader.
COL Kirby Gross, MD- 48-year-old General Surgeon calls an Army recruiter the day after the 9/11 attacks and becomes an Expert Expeditionary Trauma Surgeon
COL (Dr.) David Doman- Reconstructive Orthopedic Surgeon Supporting Special Operations
Military Medical Veterans and Volunteers- Making a Difference in Ukraine with the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG)
Major General (Ret) Richard A. Stone, MD- Transformational Leadership Providing Population Health Improvement within the Military Health System and the Veterans Health Administration.
CSM (Ret) Althea Green, Ph.D.- Army Medicine’s Most Senior Combat Medic Now Shapes Military Medicine through the Enlisted to Medical Degree Program
Major General (R) Elder Granger, MD- Leading a Multi-National Battlefield Health System in Iraq and Executing a $20+ Billion Worldwide Defense Health Program
CAPT(Ret) Peter Rhee, MD, MPH- Navy Trauma Surgeon Leading Innovation in Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Training, and Unit Design
COL Ramey Wilson, MD, MPH- Special Operations Command Surgeon: Understanding the Big Picture of Medical Support for Unconventional Missions
MG(R) Richard W. Thomas, MD, DDS- Surgeon, Soldier, Educator, Leader- Shaping the Future of Military Medicine
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