Citation

Lee KM, Greenhalgh WM, Sargent P, Chae H, Klimp S, Engel S, Merritt BP, Kretzmer T, Bajor L, Scott S, Pyne S. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), Silver Spring, Maryland (Ms Lee and CAPT Pyne); National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland (CAPT Greenhalgh); Intrepid Spirit Center, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Camp Pendleton, California (CDR Sargent); Intrepid Spirit Center, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (Dr Chae); Intrepid Spirit Center, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina (CDR Klimp); Intrepid Spirit Center, Darnell Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas (Dr Engel); and James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, Florida (Drs Merritt, Kretzmer, Bajor, and Scott).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0000000000000526

PMID

31479081

Abstract

The US Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) actively address care needs for a subset of service members (SMs) who experience prolonged symptoms and adverse sequelae interfering with their usual level of function after sustaining mild traumatic brain injury. The development of multidisciplinary concussion clinics and implementation of several reinforcing policies within the DoD and the VA address this unique patient population. A network known as the National Intrepid Center of Excellence and Intrepid Spirit Centers and the VA, primarily support these patients through intensive outpatient programs. The VA also has an inpatient program that utilizes specialized capabilities. The features unique to several of these centers are described in this article. While providing for similar patient care needs, each clinical setting implements unique evaluation and treatment modalities to target analogous goals of return to the highest functional level possible and develop life skills to enhance health, quality of life, and readiness to perform military duties. Currently, patient-reported outcomes are being collected.

Language: en