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SOUTHWEST ASIA (April 8, 2009) - The 379th Expeditionary Medical Group nurses and
technicians here join forces with base volunteers in a program to
help servicemembers with non-debilitating injuries or non-urgent
surgical needs to fully recover and get back in the fight.
The In-Theater Care Program was established to treat patients
with these types of injuries or illnesses so that servicemembers
can return to their forward operating bases and join their fellow
Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors or Marines.
"The In-Theater Care Program helps to decompress downrange
medical facilities by treating non-urgent surgical and medical
cases including occasional minor battle-injuries," said Maj. Treesa
Salter, ITCP director. "The goal is to treat the patients and
rapidly return them to duty without sending them out of the
deployed theater."
Most patients are able to return to duty within 30 days, the
major said. If the condition requires more extensive treatment,
they will be air evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center,
Germany, or back to the U.S. for enhanced treatment. Patients in
the program are generally not severely injured but some may have
experienced direct injuries in battle.
"All of our patients are screened and assessed for Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain injury symptoms in
addition to receiving treatment for their current condition. We use
the whole person concept realizing they may have just evacuated a
hot combat zone on the front lines and the transition may be
difficult," said Major Salter.
This program is different from the Wounded Warrior Project where
veterans and civilian supporters provide tangible physical and
mental support for severely wounded servicemembers returning home
from Afghanistan and Iraq, Major Salter said. Treating the patients
locally is also more cost effective than sending them to Germany or
returning them early to their home station, and minimizes the
effects of leaving a shortfall at the deployed unit.
"All of our deployed personnel within theater are eligible for
treatment here if injured and the capabilities or capacity is
exceeded in other locations," Major Salter said. "We see patients
from many forward operating bases out of Iraq, Afghanistan and the
Horn of Africa."
Since January, the ITCP has helped around 35 outpatients per
month with an average stay of 21 days. The length of stay varies on
a case-by-case basis and is dependent on the patient's recovery.
New patients arrive nearly every other day. This puts each patient
at a different phase in the recovery and treatment spectrum, which
the ITCP supports through the diverse skills of its medical
staff.
Registered nurses, on a weekly-rotational basis, provide the
variety of medical services needed to accommodate the diverse
patient population.
Between medical treatments in the program, patients live in
billeting in coalition compound where they are close to the
"warrior day room" and day-time activities available to them. The
medical group has oversight of the day room with Airmen Readiness
Center, or ARC, staff and volunteers conducting activities for the
patients.
The program wouldn't be as successful if not for the support of
volunteers managed through the ARC, said Major Salter. The
volunteer effort started in October and grew into a large force
quickly.
"We have more than 65 active volunteers and growing," said Major
Salter. "They have contributed to improving the program in numerous
ways and are an integral part in the program."
Plus, many organizations, churches, veterans and others from the
United States have made generous donations to support the injured
servicemembers during their recovery, Major Salter said.
Volunteers sponsor many daily activities to engage patients in
pre- and post-operative phases of recovery, the major said. The
activity room opens at 8 a.m. daily with volunteers ready to assist
any patient whether it is helping with equipment items or providing
simple social interaction.
Volunteers help the ARC immensely with the program. The ARC
staff, made up of two civilians and one noncomissioned officer,
maintain several other base programs while also supporting patients
within the ITCP.
"Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for their
professionalism and their can-do attitude," said Kehinde
Oshikoya-Pamphille, ARC community readiness consultant. "Whenever
we call on them, there are at least 20 volunteers ready to get the
task done. We are lucky to have so many people in place to make
things happen."
Volunteers recently painted and re-organized the ITCP warrior
day room. More improvements are in the planning stages to enhance
the activity room for patients. Units have also volunteered by
sponsoring activities with recent events like coordinating a BBQ
and conducting a military working dog demonstration.
"The ARC staff have been outstanding supporters of what we are
trying to do for the patients," said Major Salter. "My kudos to the
ARC and the volunteers for working so diligently with the
ITCP."
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