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Fort Belvoir Opens First of Nine Brain Injury Centers

  • Published
  • Fort Belvoir Public Affairs
FORT BELVOIR, VA --  Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 2.5 million U.S. troops have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and hundreds of thousands of service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

Today those service members and thousands of others who have yet to receive a diagnosis have new hope, as the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund joined with military leaders to officially dedicate the new $11 million "Intrepid Spirit" NICoE (National Intrepid Center of Excellence) Satellite Center. The center will provide crucial treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) in returning service members here.

"The NICoE System is an essential element of the Military Health System's holistic approach to the recovery and transition of wounded, ill and injured service members," said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and Director, TRICARE Management Activity.

The center was funded and built by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund through a $100 million campaign to support returning veterans with TBI and PTS. It is the first of nine Intrepid Spirit Centers nationwide to be completed and open for patients.

"Our military heroes answered the call to serve our nation in a time of need, now the rest of America must answer the call to serve them just the same," said Arnold Fisher, honorary chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

"This center and the others that follow it will offer those troops and their families new hope for recovery and new life."

All the Intrepid Spirit Centers will be located at military bases and medical centers around the country to provide medical care for service members without having to separate them from their units or leave their families for extended periods of treatment. This proximity to family and friends is expected to enhance their care and rehabilitation.

"This first NICoE Satellite Center is yet another tool we have to assist service members struggling with PTS and TBI," said Richard Santulli, Chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. "It will allow us to help change the lives of thousands of returning service members and their families, all while keeping them close to home and the support system that is so vital to recovery.

"The invisible wounds of war have plagued our American heroes for far too long, and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is proud to play a role in making sure that every service member has access to the resources and care they need to fully recover," he said.

Each center will be 25,000 sq. ft. and cost $11 million to build. Upon completion, the Intrepid Spirit Centers will be gifted to the Defense Department for its use in diagnosing and treating returning service members.

"We are honored and thrilled that the National Intrepid Center of Excellence is now an important part of Fort Belvoir's fabric and mission," said Col. Gregory D. Gadson, garrison commander. "The work NICoE does to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress is critical, and we're excited to have it join in our partnership with all the facilities of Fort Belvoir's medical campus.

"The opening of the NICoE at Fort Belvoir adds a dramatic new dimension to the care and rehabilitation our warriors deserve, and that they, their families and the nation expect," he said.

"The NICoE is an essential element of the Department of Defense's holistic approach to the recovery and transition of wounded, ill, and injured service members," said Col. Charles Callahan, Commander of Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital. "At this new facility, wounded warriors develop a personalized comprehensive transition plan that includes individual goals in six dimensions of life: physical, career, social, spiritual, emotional and family. In coordination with their physical therapists and medical providers, wounded warriors partner as a team and develop new ways to incorporate unique life elements into their treatment and recovery plans, he said.

The NICoE center "revolutionizes the care model" for TBI and PTS for both the warrior and family," said Dr. Heechin Chae, Director of the Fort Belvoir Intrepid Spirit Center. "Combined with our advanced research programs, this care model is fully integrated with our clinical programs to maximize the warrior's functional ability and allows a productive return to military service and the community."

The design and mission of the Satellite Centers are based on the original NICoE, which opened in 2010 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Operated by the DOD, NICoE is the most advanced facility of its kind and is the center of the Armed Forces' efforts in researching, diagnosing and treating TBI, PTS and related injuries sustained by military personnel. Hundreds of U.S. service members have received some diagnosis or treatment from NICoE in the last three years.

Each NICoE Satellite Center will incorporate:

■Intake/Clinic area: psychiatric testing, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, neuro psych testing rooms and exam rooms.
■Physical Therapy: open gym layout with physical therapy equipment including adjustable mat tables, parallel bars, treadmills, alter-G gait trainer, and other therapy items.
■Sleep Lab: one sleep room, equipped with a sleep system and ambient therapy music, and a control room with a computer monitoring system.
■Central Park: a unique and multi-purpose environment to support physical therapy and family activities, with features including a therapeutic labyrinth for meditation and focusing exercises and a natural setting with trees, shrubs, and water elements.
■Family Room: providing a reprieve space for patients and family to spend time together and take a break from the clinical treatment regime.
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes is also currently engaged in a social media campaign, #MakeItVisible, which encourages all Americans to lend support to the NICoE Satellite Center Effort, and to learn about the invisible wounds of war, specifically Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress. Visit www.makeitvisible.org for more information.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund has provided over $150 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded military personnel and veterans.

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital is a state-of-the-art, 120-bed facility and is one of the first military treatment facilities to use evidence-based design principles to better patient outcomes, decrease recovery times and to maximize provider and patient safety. Nature and its healing effects play a role in the hospital's design.