Wounded Warrior Act and Military Eye Trauma Center of Excellence Approved by Congress, success for BVA!
December 18, 2007
Blinded Veterans Association wins big legislative success in the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, was the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warrior bill that congress has worked on completing since last spring. The Blinded Veterans Association took leadership in requesting that a Military Eye Trauma Center of Excellence and National Department of Defense and VA Eye Trauma Registry be established for the 1,189 combat eye wounded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
BVA worked extensively with both house and senate members from both parties, on Armed Services, VA Committees, and other veteran service organizations, plus American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Optometric Association on getting this included.
The professional organizations have both sent out PRESS RELEASES including the fact that it was the Blinded Veterans Association who worked on this important issue and brought it to the attention of the various members of congress on these committees. Again, this is a first because in no previous wars has this kind of eye trauma registry been established, and an added benefit is it directs VA and DoD to do more research on combat eye injuries, and Traumatic Brain Injuries TBI and visual dysfunction. Attached is actual report language included in the NDAA Wounded Warrior section.
The Department of Defense plans are to establish the Military TBI Center of Excellence at the current National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland, along with this will be the Military Eye Trauma Center of Excellence and new Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Center of Excellence in a new $64 million building being planned for this year.
Academy Applauds Passage of Military Eye Trauma Bill
Measure will improve the tracking, diagnosis and treatment for service members injured on active duty
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Congress has approved legislation that would improve the Department of Defense’s (DoD) and the Veterans Health Administrations’ ability to treat those serving on active duty who have suffered serious eye injuries. The legislation, passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, will establish a Center of Excellence within the DoD to improve the tracking, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for service members who have incurred eye injuries while serving on active duty. The measure now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign it, as soon as Friday.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology joined the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) and other veteran’s service organizations in support of the legislation, which would also create a formal registry that would house electronic records and enable the DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share patient information.
“We want to ensure that active duty members and veterans of prior service are provided with excellent eye care and resources,” says James C. Orcutt, MD, PhD, Chief Ophthalmology Consultant for the Veterans Health Administration and a member of the Academy. “The establishment of a registry that will allow us to track veterans and active duty personnel who have eye injuries significantly enhances our ability to meet that goal. In addition, the ability of the DoD and VA to work hand in hand on eye injury cases will benefit both active duty troops and veterans.”
“This bill make a significant difference for active duty troops and veterans and along with those who suffer visual problems related to traumatic brain injury,” said Thomas Zampieri, BVA director of government relations. “We’re pleased at the bipartisan effort in Congress to pass this bill, and we’re appreciative of the leadership role that the Academy took with the legislation. We look forward to working with the Academy on the implementation of this measure.”
The legislation would require ophthalmologists in the DoD to report surgeries or other procedures to the registry within 30 days. Information relating to additional treatments, surgical procedures, and eventual visual outcomes would be accessible by the DoD ophthalmologist who initially treated the patient as well as any future ophthalmologist in the VA. In addition to eye injuries, the registry will also cover blast injuries with visual symptoms. The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., is a potential location for the Center of Excellence, which will act as a central resource. The measure passed by Congress does not currently provide for funding for the Center or registry.
Between October 2001 and June 2006, more than 1,000 service-members with combat related eye trauma were evacuated from overseas military operations, making serious ocular injuries one of the most common types of injury experienced by service members serving in the Middle East. Many combat eye injuries require multiple surgical procedures and treatments at several facilities. In addition, a significant number of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are also experiencing vision impairment caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI); some 54 percent of soldiers treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who have traumatic brain injuries are reporting vision problems. As many as 16 percent of all soldiers returning from Iraq are experiencing significant vision dysfunction problems.
U.S. veterans seeking information on eye care and where to get it are encouraged to visit the Academy-sponsored Web site www.VeteransEyeCare.com.
About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.
Senator Burr Press Release is included below on this news:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Richard Burr, the Ranking Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, praised today’s passage of the conference report to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The conference report contains a number of provisions that help veterans, including enhanced education benefits and expansion of health services for veterans with traumatic injuries and their families.
“The Defense Authorization Act touches on a number of important issues facing our nation’s veterans, and I am pleased this report has passed,” Burr said. “Our wounded warriors deserve the best care and treatment our nation can provide them, and this bill works in several ways to help make their lives better. I am especially pleased that the bill takes a measured step towards implementing the Dole-Shalala Commission’s recommendation to streamline the disability evaluation process within the Defense Department. I hope we can build on this progress when the Congress reconvenes in January.”
The conference report specifically provides enhancements to education benefits, primarily for members of the National Guard and Reserves who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It allows for them to receive maximum education benefits after three total years of active duty service and to participate in the “buy-up” program that can provide up to $5,400 more in benefits.
The report provides important improvements for veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). It requires the VA to develop individualized rehabilitation and reintegration plans for all patients with TBI and requires the VA to develop a program of long-term care for post-acute TBI rehabilitation, whether that care is provided through VA or through private entities. It also requires the VA to conduct TBI research and establish a Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans Health Registry. It also provides an extension of eligibility to receive priority access to VA healthcare from two to five years following separation from the military for combat veterans serving in the War on Terror.
Wounded Warrior provisions in the report includes the requirement for DOD and VA to jointly develop a comprehensive policy on the care and transition of recovering veterans and requires both departments to standardize the medical evaluation board and physical evaluation board process. Both departments will continue to develop a coordinated electronic health record system and will create an interagency office to facilitate the new health records, which will allow for better communication between the departments when handling important health records.
The Blinded Veterans Association again brought this important legislation through the entire process and the membership should be pleased that once again we have scored an important victory for all veterans who suffer eye injuries or visual complications from Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Tom Zampieri
Blinded Veterans Association
Washington, DC
Conference Report on H.R. 3222, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008 (House of Representatives - November 06, 2007
National Eye Evaluation and Research Network
The conferees recognized the need to provide for our military readily accessible evaluation and testing for serious retinal injuries and diseases, as well as the need for a central repository for clinical trial data. Therefore, the conferees have provided $2,400,000 for the National Eye Evaluation and Research Network.
Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program
The conferees agree to provide $50,000,000 for the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, and recommend the following projects as candidates for study: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; alcoholism research; blood cancer; drug abuse; epilepsy research; EYE AND VISION research; integrated tissue hypoxia research; Interstitial Cystitis; inflammatory bowel diseases; leishmaniasis; Lupus; kidney cancer; mesothelioma; multiple sclerosis; nutrition and health promotion; Paget’s disease; polycystic kidney disease; pulmonary hypertension; scleroderma; social work research; and tinnitus. The conferees reiterate that funds provided under the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program shall be used only for the purpose listed above.
The conferees direct the Department to provide a report by March 3, 2008, on the status of this Peer Reviewed Medical Researched Program.
Wounded Warrior Assistance
The conferees agree to provide $70,000,000 to fund initiatives addressed in H.R. 1598 as passed by both the House and Senate that address the urgent medical needs of wounded service members.
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