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MILITARY - Advocacy Information
 The San Diego Brain Injury Foundation is proud to offer support for military personnel and their families. The services that the Foundation provides offer a supportive and confidential environment for brain injury survivors and their families.
Subject: House Committee Adopts Platts Amendment to Ensure Better Treatment of Troops Suffering from Brain Injuries
May 12, 2011
The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee (HASC) approved an amendment Wednesday to the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540) which was sponsored by Congressman Todd Platts (PA-19) to direct the U.S. Department of Defense to establish guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) for our military personnel. Congressman Platts sponsored the amendment on behalf of the office of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ-8). H.R. 1540 was adopted by the HASC by a vote of 60 to 1 and Congressman Platts’ amendment, which was voted on as part of a larger amendment package, was approved by voice vote.
“Congress has acknowledged that traumatic brain injuries from blast exposures are the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Platts, a member of the Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. “It is more important than ever that we do right by the men and women in our military who serve in harm’s way to ensure that they receive the highest quality of medical treatment available in order to lead meaningful and productive lives post-injury.”
It is estimated that more than 300,000 American soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced a possible TBI. These injuries can include those caused by shrapnel that penetrate the skull, but also injuries with no visible signs caused by shockwaves from improvised explosive devices and mortars. Due to significant scientific and medical advances by the military, more service members are surviving the acute stages of blast injuries, said Congressman Platts.
To build upon that, however, it is critical that guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of moderate to severe TBI be established for our military personnel. Such medical guidelines would make certain that our service members have access to treatment that works, while saving taxpayer funds in long-term care costs and making post-injury lives as productive and fulfilling as possible.
H.R. 1540 now advances to the full House of Representatives for approval. Since 2005, Congressman Platts has served as co-chair, along with U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-8), of the bipartisan Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which has fought to improve medical services for soldiers suffering from TBI, while also educating the public about such injuries.
Welcome to Vol. 7, Issue 6, of Capitol News, from the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators.
Senate VA Committee Sends Recommendations to VA/DoD
In a letter to the secretaries of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and a bipartisan group of Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services committee members urged stronger coordination and better follow up on TBI. The Senators called for specific improvements from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, including:
• Prompt action to finalize and implement DOD's draft policy mandating evaluation and rest periods for individuals with TBI, and to ensure that existing policies are being adhered to by each military service branch;
• Action to ensure documentation of TBI and follow-up during Post-Deployment Health Assessments and Reassessments;
• Expedited establishment of DOD centers of excellence for military eye injuries, and for hearing loss and amputations;
• Quicker progress to make VA/DOD collaboration and data transfers more robust, comprehensive, and seamless; and
• Making full use of authority granted by Congress for VA to partner with state, local, and community providers to improve access to care and reduce the burden on veterans receiving treatment for TBI, and their family members.
Last month, the Veterans' Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing on the state of care for troops and veterans suffering from TBI. NASHIA submitted testimony. In January 2008, Congress passed provisions authored by Chairman Akaka and approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee to reform VA/DOD collaboration and care related to TBI as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. To view the letter go to: http://veterans.senate.gov/upload/6_16_2010_TBI%20FOLLOW%20UP.PDF.
Department of Defense
A New Director is Appointed for DCoE
Army Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, who ran the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) since it was established in November 2007, left that command on Monday, June 21st. She now works for Army Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, pending retirement in March 2011. Col. Robert W. Saum, an Army psychologist with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Studies from a dual enrollment at the University of San Francisco and CanterburyUniversity in the United Kingdom, has been appointed as her replacement.
DoD Holds Dedication Ceremony for Intrepid Center on Brain Injury
On June 24th, the Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III and other officials celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), created to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate military with mild TBI and psychological health issues. The $65 million center is located on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center adjacent to the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. It was built with private funds with assistance from Arnold Fisher who is the honorary chairman of the fund and the force behind the center's conception. Donations to build the center came from 125,000 Americans, who provided donations as small as $10. When the Intrepid fund appeared to miss its fundraising mark this spring, Bob Barker of "The Price is Right" fame stepped in and donated $3 million. The project broke ground in December 2008. Dr. James P. Kelly, a neurologist, serves as the director of NICoE.
New Director Appointed for DVBIC
Effective July 1, 2010, COL Jamie B Grimes, USA, MC succeeds Col Michael S Jaffee, USAF, MC as the new National Director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC). COL Grimes comes to DVBIC headquarters from San Antonio, TX where, since 2007, she has been the DVBIC Site Director at Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC) and Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), now combined as the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC).
In her new role, COL Grimes will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization's mission: to serve active-duty military and veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) through state-of-the-art medical care and care coordination, and innovative clinical research initiatives and educational programs.
DVBIC Offers New Guide for Caregivers
The Department of Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center has announced the availability of the "Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide for Caregivers of Service Members and Veterans". This program is designed to provide information about traumatic brain injury, including the causes, symptoms and diagnosis. Treatment, recovery and strategies for preventing future injuries to the brain are also covered. A downloadable version of the TBI Family Caregiver Guide is now available online at http://www.traumaticbraininjuryatoz.org/Caregiver-s-Journey/Family-Caregiver-Curriculum-Downloads.aspx and at www.DVBIC.org. A multimedia component to the curriculum will be posted on CEMM's site in July.
DCoE Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary of Real Warriors Campaign
In May, the DCoE celebrated the one-year anniver¬sary of DCoE's Real Warriors Campaign, which is combating the stigma associ¬ated with seeking psychological health care and TBI. At the heart of the campaign are the stories of Real Warriors who are proving through example that seeking care is a sign of strength. To vis¬it the campaign's Web site, go to www.realwarriors.net, to see the most recent of Real Warriors and their families.
Please take time to see the resources available to you at www.nashia.org. |
