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Doctor ensures care for wounded warriors

  • Published
  • By 81st Medical Group
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Retired Col. (Dr.) James Gasque continues to play a major role in Keesler's Wounded Warrior Program.

Dr. Gasque, who retired in July with 25 years of Air Force service, transitioned back to clinical medicine after serving as the 81st Medical Group chief of medical staff from 2006-2009. Col. (Dr.) Susan Perez de Tagle, current chief of medical staff, appointed him as medical director of the WoundedWarrior Program based on his clinical and administrative background. In this role, Dr. Gasque is the primary care manager for wounded warriors and ensures their deployment-related conditions are documented and fully addressed.

As the first chief of medical staff following Hurricane Katrina, he found several programs needed to be re-established. Once the medical facility again was functioning with the clinical services, inpatient capabilities and the return of the graduate medical education internal medicine and surgery residency programs, Keesler was capable of caring for Wounded Warriors, except for those with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. With Keesler able to accept patients from Iraq and Afghanistan, a wounded warrior platform was essential.

Dr. Gasque said, "Initially I called upon the hospital's medical management staff, consisting of registered nurses and social workers, to coordinate wounded warrior care.

Donna Anderson, working in medical management, took a special interest in them, ensuring they obtained the care they needed and that none of them 'fell through the cracks.' Mrs. Anderson was later appointed the wounded warrior consultant, establishing the Wounded Warrior Program using care coordinators and other military services' liaisons."

Dr. Gasque said a major challenge for service members is obtaining information about their entitlements are and how to access them.

"This is the reason the program was established -- to provide a centralized office to assess the service members as well as help our providers determine the best way to care for our wounded warriors," Dr. Gasque commented. "The Wounded Warrior Program staff coordinates care and schedules medical appointments for the service member. The staff also addresses concerns regarding proper documentation, line of duty determination, medical evaluation boards and other social and financial entitlements.

"Although we have the Wounded Warrior Program, another challenge of my job is providing the service member continuity of care," he continued. "Wounded warriors come from all areas of the Gulf Coast. Although we address their concerns and place referrals, long-term follow- up care is transferred back to their home PCMs. Many of the reserve and guard wounded warriors may have PCMs in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and all areas of Mississippi."

Dr. Gasque is only able to participate in the Wounded Warrior Program on a parttime basis. His full-time internal medicine responsibilities involve inpatient and outpatient clinical duties and helping to instruct internal medicine residents.

"While my duty day is busy, the rewarding aspect of working with wounded warriors is helping them recover," Dr. Gasque observed. "The reward is seeing their satisfaction in being able to share their story with someone they know cares and they can trust."

He mentioned many times service members cry as they "get things off their chest."

"At times, I'm the initial spark of a larger team that helps lead to a wounded warrior's recovery," Dr. Gasque explained. "That is why my job is so important; I serve as a liaison aiding the service members in putting their lives back together. You listen to their stories and offer a caring ear and heart. Many recount enduring physical pain such as broken bones, loss of a limb, eye sight or hearing. And there are more stories of mental and emotional struggles resulting from flashbacks, nightmares and insomnia.

"At times, you can only be a good wingman and listen to the service members as they talk about their post traumatic stress disorders, traumatic brain injuries, anger, isolation, depression, despair or destructive behavior as they try to cope and rebuild their lives," he went on. "As team members, our job is to be good listeners and a bridge for the service members, providing them the resources they need to feel whole and function again."

Dr. Gasque is happy that the various service branches are taking care of wounded warriors, but there's one thing that often brings him to tears at the end of an interview with one of these service members.

"It's the forgotten family members, especially spouses who suffer from the turmoil that often tears families apart," he pointed out. "As one service member agonized, 'I am driving my wife away, but I cannot help it.' I sometimes speak with their spouses and they cry out for help. Service members often state that they're unable to talk with their spouses and they just don't understand what the service members have and continue to experience.

"In spite of the challenges, we are making progress and are a big difference in the lives of our wounded warriors," Dr. Gasque concluded. "I'm happy to be a part of a team that cares."