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VA AND ARMY HOSPITALS IN GEORGIA TEAM UP TO
TREAT
COMBAT WOUNDS -- "If it were up to me, there
would be
a unit like this in every region of the
country."
Story here...
http://www.ledger-en
quirer.com/251/story/118637.html
Story below:
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Army and VA hospitals in Ga. team up to treat
combat wounds
By DOUG GROSS
Associated Press Writer --
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The way Army Spc. Jason Capps
sees it, he'd still be in a wheelchair if it weren't for a unique
treatment program at the Augusta VA Medical Center.
"If it were up to me, there would be a unit like this in every region of
the country," said Capps, a combat medic whose spine and pelvic bone
were shattered in June when a suicide bomber drove a truck full of
explosives into a bridge his unit was guarding in Iraq. He is now able
to walk on his own.
At least one U.S. senator agreed with him.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee,
held a field hearing at the hospital Tuesday in hopes that its
partnership with Eisenhower Army Medical Center at nearby Fort Gordon
can be copied throughout the country - providing better care for combat
troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Opened in 2004, the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital's "active
duty rehabilitation unit" is the only program in the nation in which
active duty soldiers receive inpatient care at a VA hospital, officials
said.
The unit has treated 1,037 service members, many of them recovering from
spinal injuries, amputations, brain damage and other severe combat
injuries.
Supporters say the unit allows VA and Department of Defense doctors to
share equipment and expertise while caring for the injured troops.
Ordinarily a VA hospital does not treat active-duty troops.
"The active duty rehabilitation unit represents the best of VA and DoD
medical care, and represents the fulfillment of our promise to veterans
and service members," said Lawrence Biro, southeastern director of VA
hospitals.
The unit, which can house up to 30 patients and is currently treating
24, includes a physical therapy gymnasium, an Internet cafe and an
extensive post-traumatic stress disorder program.
Isakson, a Republican, was the only committee member who attended the
hearing, although staff members for other senators were present.
He said he's not sure how many communities in the U.S. have both VA and
Department of Defense hospitals, but he's aware of several where a
program like the one in Augusta would work.
A handful of military hospitals already share some outpatient programs
with the VA.
During his testimony, Capps choked back tears while telling Isakson
about a recent trip he made to Arlington National Cemetery.
"What made me sad was imagining how many more soldiers will be buried
there before it's over," said Capps, a member of the 3rd Infantry
Division stationed at Fort Benning. "My government has done its very
best to make sure that I have a full recovery; every soldier deserves
that right to heal with the very best resources we have to offer."
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Larry Scott --
