VA's role in treatment changes with growing number of injured troops

By Christian Hill | The Olympian • Published November 04, 2007

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The large number of U.S. troops who need care for multiple combat wounds, including head injuries, has led the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to take a larger role in treating active-duty service members.

How to get help

The Brain Injury Association of Washington works to help survivors of traumatic brain injuries and to raise public awareness. The organization, at 3516 S. 47th St., Suite 100, in Tacoma, can be reached at 253-238-6085. Its Web site is www.biawa.org, or find out about the national association at www.biausa.org.

There are support groups for survivors of traumatic brain injuries. A list is at www.biawa.org/support.htm.

• The Olympia support group meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in third-floor classroom in the Emilie Gamelin Pavilion on the campus of Providence St. Peter Hospital, 410 Providence Lane, on the second Tuesday of each month. For more information, call Pat Gabrielse at 360-493-4432.

• The Tacoma support group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tacoma Area Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities Center, 6315 S. 19th St., on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. For more information, call 253-426-5735. Web site: https://home.comcast.net/~tbisg/

• The Lewis County support group meets at 5 p.m. at Providence Chehalis Hospital, 500 S.E. Washington Ave., the first four Tuesdays of each month. For more information, call Larry Carroll at 360-864-4341 or Ann Grabhorn at 360-983-3166.

• The Seattle support group meets from 4 to 6 p.m. at the ElderHealth Northwest adult day health center, 800 Jefferson St. For more information, call 206-782-9093 or 425-778-3707.

A comprehensive guide about TBI and recovery from it is available at www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/Library/tbitoolkit.pdf.

For active-duty soldiers and veterans, a 29-minute documentary about TBI is available at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at www.dvbic.org. Click on the "education" tab. The site includes comprehensive information about traumatic brain injuries.

Traditionally, the military's medical system — at places such as Madigan Army Medical Center — is responsible for wounded active-duty soldiers, as well as Reserve and National Guard members hurt while mobilized.

The VA treats service members when they leave the military and part-time soldiers when they complete mobilization.

The VA also has specialized in those with spinal cord injuries, said Jay Uomoto, who directs the Center for Polytrauma Care for the VA's Puget Sound health care system.

"Aside from that, you wouldn't see a lot of active-duty members in the VA," he said.

But the role of the Seattle and other VA hospitals changed in 2005 because of the many service members who have suffered multiple injuries from enemy explosives in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who need specialists to meet their long-term rehabilitative needs.

The change was the result of a partnership between the VA and the Defense Department. The thrust is a national network of polytrauma centers, where the wounded get intensive inpatient and outpatient care and rehabilitation.

The VA has expanded the mission of its four polytrauma centers in recent years. A fifth center has been announced for San Antonio.

Once a soldier is stabilized, or in cases of less severe injuries, the patient comes to one of 17 "polytrauma network sites," including one at the VA in Seattle. There, a team of specialists can continue care and ensure that soldiers are "plugged into" other services they might need, Uomoto said.

The Seattle facility coordinates care for wounded service members in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It has looked after almost 200 patients since April, including more than 50 now. About 40 percent are active-duty, largely sent from Madigan, Uomoto said. The rest are veterans.

Bill Campbell, a 46-year-old Shelton resident and former sergeant in the Washington Army National Guard, is one of the patients. He volunteered to serve in Iraq with the 81st Brigade Combat Team.

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