Recent
media reports have declared that timely, dignified care should be
provided to returning servicemen and women. At the Michael E. DeBakey
VA Medical Center, we completely agree.
America’s
soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors, and Coast Guardsmen deserve the
very finest medical care. Earned at enlistment, it is America’s sacred
promise to them. Nationally, and here in southeast Texas, VA works hard
to honor that promise.
Since
2003, more than 1.5 million military personnel have served and returned
from Iraq and Afghanistan. Roughly 40% have enrolled for care in a
high-tech, quality-focused VA system, including more than 8,500
southeast Texas sons and daughters.
In
the 1970s, some Vietnam War returnees were critical of VA care. But a
major transformation in 1994 brought significant improvements,
including extensive performance measurement, evidence-based clinical
practice, state-of-the-art technology, comprehensive patient safety
programs, and conversion to an electronic medical record system.
VA
patient outcomes now exceed those of Medicare patients for many
conditions. University studies indicate Veterans are happier with their
care than nonveterans. This “new VA” has been praised by Harvard, The
New England Journal of Medicine, Washington Monthly, Business Week, New
York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, Time, Newsweek, AARP, and others.
Many experts now consider VA among America’s best health-care systems.
The
war has presented numbers and types of injuries that could not be
predicted when it began. But VA adapted as quickly as possible. Some
examples:
Traumatic brain injury:
Improvised explosive devices often result in multiple devastating
injuries. VA physicians are trained to screen every returning Veteran
for TBI. In August 2005,
the DeBakey VA added an extremely important and timely program to our
array of available health care services, a Network Polytrauma Program.
In 2009, we received a five-year $5 million grant from to establish a
new VA Rehabilitation Research Center of Excellence focusing on mild to
moderate traumatic brain injury.
Mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder:
Many returnees present some type of diagnosed mental health problem,
including post traumatic stress disorder, a condition caused by
exposure to severe threat. A world leader in PTSD treatment, VA
operates 160 specialized hospital-based PTSD programs and 207 community
Vet Centers. Houston has both.
In
addition, all Veterans are screened for depression at the VA. Those in
emotional crisis can be admitted immediately. To meet the growing
workload, almost 100 mental health providers have been added to VA
operations in southeast Texas since 2005. The DeBakey VA opened two new
nursing units in 2009 to provide specialized inpatient mental health
services for returning combat troops and for women Veterans.
Access to health care: In 2009, the DeBakey VA opened a new Post-Deployment Clinic to serve as a “Welcome Center” for returning combat Veterans.
The Post-Deployment Clinic is a “One-Stop” center performing
multi-disciplinary evaluations tailored to the individual’s physical,
mental, and social needs. Assistance and information regarding
non-medical VA benefits and community resources are also available.
This past May, we opened our fifth outpatient clinic, located at 22001 Southwest Freeway in Richmond.
Suicide prevention:
Eighteen Veterans commit suicide each day in this country, the majority
not under VA care. To combat this tragic situation, here and
nationwide, VA hired on-site suicide prevention coordinators and
established peer support/recovery teams. In 2007, VA opened a 24/7
National Suicide Prevention Hotline, toll-free 1-800- 273-8255. It has
received more than 245,000 distress calls.
Prosthetics: Veterans, who have lost limbs to blast injuries or required amputations, have access to the latest prosthetic technologies. These include microprocessor components
such as the RHEO knee, Adaptive knee, Proprio “Bionic” Foot, and the
C-Leg. These computer-controlled rheomagnetic, pneumatic, and hydraulic
systems are regulated by internal feedback.
Women’s health: More than 7 percent of Veterans receiving care are women. VA has progressively expanded women’s services. The
Women’s Health Center at the DeBakey VA opened almost 14 years ago.
This clinic provides routine primary care, gynecological services,
patient and family education, and preventive medicine. In August, the
clinic will move to a new, completely renovated space with its own
private entrance. It will have more exam rooms and additional health
care providers and ancillary staff. Counseling and treatment is
available at the VA for survivors of military sexual trauma. Group
counseling sessions and support groups are available at the Women’s
Health Center and at the three Vet Centers in Houston.
Homelessness: VA offers
a wide array of special programs and initiatives specifically designed
to help homeless Veterans live as self-sufficiently and independently
as possible.The DeBakey VA opened a 40-bed domiciliary residence for homeless Veterans in 2008. VA,
working the Department of Housing and Urban Development and local
community agencies, provides permanent independent housing for eligible
homeless Veterans in areas surrounding Beaumont, Galveston, and Houston
under the HUD-VASH Program. Recently, a National Homeless Veterans Hotline, toll-free 1-877-4AID-VET, was established to ensure homeless Veterans or Veterans at-risk for homelessness have free, 24/7
access to trained counselors. The 10th Annual Houston Area Stand Down
for homeless Veterans will be held October 21-22, 2010 at the
Emancipation Park Community Center.
Rural health:
VA provides many rural Veterans with “Health Buddy” monitoring devices,
linking them to clinicians in Houston. We are investing money in
telehealth programs connecting our outpatient clinics to VA eye and
mental health specialists, and other medical experts in the future. In
addition to our outpatient clinics in Beaumont, Conroe, Galveston,
Lufkin, and Richmond, we plan to open new clinics in Lake Jackson and
mainland Galveston County this winter. New VA outpatient clinics are
also planned for Katy and Tomball and expected to open in 36 to 48
months.
The
DeBakey VA will continue expanding and changing to meet the needs of
returning service members. Across the Nation and in southeast Texas, it
is an honor to do so. We, more than 4,500 VA staff and volunteers,
believe the VA does not provide free health care. The care we provide
has been paid for a thousand times over by our country’s heroes and by
the sacrifices they have made to keep our Nation free. What we do here
at the VA, and the only reason for our existence, is pay back a portion
of the debt this Nation owes to these heroes.
Adam C. Walmus, M.H.A., M.A., F.A.C.H.E.
Director, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
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