going to take just 10 TBI veterans, active duty people,
and so [on] to try to keep the class small, get them in-
tegrated, do exactly the types of programs you talked
Nobody is out
about. Well, because a lot of these folks were active duty,
the military was a little bit leery about putting them into
there trying to pick
a program that was [in] a university setting they had no
control of, so numbers started to dwindle. Now it’s down
these guys up, trying
to two, my son and someone else.
to bring them back
I’m still hopeful, but at that class size, I start to won-
der, OK, is it going to achieve the same goals I was hop-
into the system. That’s
ing for with a few greater numbers of other veterans, that
they could go through this journey together?
where the advocacy
So for me the jury is still out. But I was very excited
about that potential.
gets lost.
Kathy Moakler: I’m with the National Military Family As-
— Cmdr. Richard Jadick, USN
sociation. And my question is for Dr. Gualtieri: You talked
about the 2 million brain injuries in the [U.S] every year Connors: I think it is as vital as the bench science that is
and [existing] resources and programs to help with those. going to fi nd a cure for brain injury.
Isn’t there a difference, though, between a concussive in-
jury and the type of blast injury our servicemembers are Beck: I think the only problem in achieving that, [is] it is
experiencing for the most part from [improvised explosive absolutely necessary that [is] the benchmark. But the prob-
devices] in theater? lem is everybody thinks they are the one point of contact.
So you have [DoD] who thinks [it] does better than
Gualtieri: There are differences. There are differences the VA, and the VA thinks [it does] better than DoD.
between hypoxic injuries and [TBIs]. There are differ- We all have the same goal here. Let’s fi gure this out so
ences between electrocution injuries and brain injuries the servicemember doesn’t get caught in the middle.
and [TBIs]. The agencies all exist for a reason, [and] they each have
There are differences between sports concussions their strengths.
and the kinds of concussions that occur in motor vehi-
cle accidents. And those are important to keep in mind, Jadick: I think I can speak to this point from both sides
but in terms of developing services, the principles are — from watching my friends who have tried to work the
the same. And the principles are to recognize, No. 1, system and [now] being a physician in the VA and watch-
that we’re dealing with a [treatable] condition and the ing, and with DoD and watching my recommendations to
vast majority of patients have substantial potential for this patient kind of get washed away somewhere in be-
good recovery. tween. And so having an advocacy, some point of contact
We have to provide services that are close to where which it really needs to be concrete.
the patient is ... that integrate that patient back into his I hear a lot of agencies, and we talk about agencies
or her community. Whether that person is an hypoxic [about] this, but that Marine needs to be looked at and
injury or a blast injury, those create technical diffi culties [told], “Here is your point of contact,” and that physician,
in terms of managing problems that arise. But the prin- who is equally stupid about bureaucracy, needs to be told,
ciples are the same. “That is your Marine’s point of contact.”
Anything needs to be channeled through them, and
Capt. D.J. Skelton: [I’m] with [DoD]. How important they will coordinate all this care. I’m a deck plate guy,
would it be to have a single point of contact that would [and] it needs to be brought down to that level so we all
be up and abreast on all the updates of policies and understand who is running what.
would be able to help facilitate doing, taking a lot of that
burden for you, where the medical communities can Bunce: I would be happy if there were even just fi ve
input progression or regression in one recovery plan that points of contact. In the VA system ... there are some
will have repercussions along other aspects that maybe great medicines out there, but if you try to fi nd one doc-
a nonprofi t organization can pick up or maybe we can go tor to be able to have a holistic approach of this individ-
back into the DoD? ual, you can’t fi nd it in the VA. [CONTINUES ON PAGE 81]
DECEMBER 2007 MILITARY OFFICER 75
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