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VA Leading the Way in Care for Traumatic Brain Injury
Nicholson: Another Example of VA Adapting to Needs of Newest Vets
WASHINGTON (February 27, 2007) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), long a leader in the treatment and rehabilitation of veterans with
brain injuries, is continuing to adapt its programs to meet the needs of
veterans from the Global War on Terror, with a variety of new services
in place or underway.
The latest innovations for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the
newest generation of combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan
includes mandatory TBI training for all VA health care professionals,
screening all recent combat vets for TBI and creating an outside panel
of experts to review VA's TBI services.
"VA has adapted -- and will continue to adapt -- its world-class health
care system to the unique medical issues facing our newest combat
veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. "VA is a
nationally recognized leader in health care, and our system is dynamic.
We are constantly striving to improve the care we provide to our
veterans."
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused without any visible injuries
when explosives jar the brain inside the skull. Symptoms can range from
headaches, irritability, and sleep disorders to memory problems and
depression.
VA has developed a TBI course that is mandatory for all health care
professionals. The course teaches primary care providers ways to
diagnose TBI in patients who might not otherwise be aware they suffer
from it.
Also starting this spring is a program to screen all patients who served
in the combat theaters of Iraq or Afghanistan for TBI. The new
screening will be offered at all 155 VA medical centers.
To ensure VA is taking advantage of the latest technology, treatment
innovations and diagnostic insights, the Department will establish a
panel of outside experts to review VA's complete polytrauma system of
care, including its TBI programs.
"Polytrauma" is a term that includes TBI and encompasses the other
injuries typically found in blast victims, including amputations, burns,
hearing and vision problems and psychological trauma.
VA operates four major polytrauma centers -- in Minneapolis; Tampa,
Fla.; Richmond, Va.; and Palo Alto, Calif. -- that have
interdisciplinary teams of specialists working together on the complex
medical needs of each patient. VA also has 17 regionally-based
polytrauma facilities that provide specialized care closer to veterans'
homes.
Each of VA's 21 regional health care networks is establishing polytrauma
support clinic teams to further improve case management for veterans
with TBI as they return home from the hospital, and to help them in
their transition to their communities.
VA's innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of TBI patients began in
1992, when four VA medical centers dedicated special facilities to
treatment, rehabilitation, professional education and research regarding
brain injuries. In March 2003, those facilities received their first
patients from the Global War on Terror, and in April 2005, they were
officially designated as polytrauma centers, featuring teams of
specialists in various medical disciplines and case managers working
together to help veterans overcome severe injuries.
"Inpatient care in one of our four polytrauma centers is the beginning
of a long road to recovery," said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA's Acting
Under Secretary for Health. "We are establishing an extensive continuum
of care that will enable our patients to achieve the highest level of
function and ability."
Among the special adaptations VA is providing for the care of TBI and
polytrauma patients are case managers assigned to each patient, a
greater emphasis and understanding of the problems of families during
the initial care and long-term recovery, and state-of-the-art
video-conferencing that permits top specialists to take an active role
in the treatment of remote patients.
VA treated more than 5.4 million patients last year, accounting for
about 55 million outpatient visits and 600,000 hospitalizations. About
205,000 of the 630,000 veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan
have come to VA for health care, with fewer than 7,000 being
hospitalized.
All combat veterans have access to free health care from VA for two
years after their separation from service, bypassing rules that require
determinations of service-connected injuries or income levels.
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