| Welcome  Greetings from the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury! I recently returned from Afghanistan and am working as DCoE’s senior executive director for psychological health. Mental Health Month is very important to DCoE, and it’s good to see all of the support efforts for our military members and their loved ones happening across the Military Health System.
It was an honor to be working with the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who are suffering from the ill-effects of war. My staff of 35 was treating almost 2,000 warriors a month in Eastern Afghanistan and was able to successfully return most of them to their units, buddies and the fight. May 21 marks the one-year anniversary of DCoE’s Real Warriors campaign which is combating the stigma associated with seeking psychological health care. At the heart of the campaign are the profiles of Real Warriors who are proving through example that seeking care is a sign of strength. Be sure to visit www.realwarriors.net to see the most recent articles, profiles and more. I am committed to doing what we can to make sure that both the deployed and in-garrison warriors receive all the behavioral health care they need when necessary. In addition, I will continue to spearhead the work of providing all the prevention and resilience-building tools to both warriors and their families. Together as a team this work can be accomplished. We want to work with you. Lt. Col. Christopher Robinson, USAF, PhD, MPH
Senior Executive Director for Psychological Health
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury May Is Mental Health Month  We live in difficult times. With engagements overseas and difficulties at home, we all feel the stress of life every day. May is Mental Health Month, and the Military Health System wants you to know that you are not alone. Click here for mental health tools and resources inside and outside the MHS available to you and your family. Naval Hospital Bremerton Improves Patient Safety  Naval Hospital Bremerton’s Lean Six Sigma team has recently concluded a Continuous Process Improvement project that incorporated Failure Modes and Effects Analysis to improve the command’s high-level disinfection process for ultrasound probes. It was the first time Navy Medicine West combined principles of the Lean Six Sigma program with the FMEA model. The results improve patient safety in the command’s emergency department, OB/GYN, family medicine and radiology clinics, and Naval Branch Health Clinic Bangor. “Our main goal was to continue ever improving patient safety to further decrease any potential risk for any bad outcome,” said Lt. Cmdr. Wendy Cook, Command Lean Six Sigma Black Belt expert. Read more MHS Profiles: Trained to Heal, Inspired to Speak  This month, we profile a combat medic and two combat nurses whose steadfast strength and determination have aided them on the battlefield, in their recovery at home, and today, as they advocate for others experiencing psychological stress. Gaining courage through their involvement in the Real Warriors campaign, these women reveal their own personal stories to inspire others to seek help. Read MHS Profiles to learn about their unique experiences and ongoing efforts at combating the stigma associated with psychological stress.
USNS Mercy Sets Sail for Pacific Partnership 2010  The Naval hospital ship USNS Mercy deployed from San Diego May 1, kicking off Pacific Partnership 2010. The fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance endeavors, Pacific Partnership 2010 is aimed at strengthening regional relationships with host and partner nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Pacific Partnership 2010 will visit six nations during the five-month deployment. Pacific Partnership 2010's Mission Commander is Capt. Lisa Franchetti, who will ensure the collaboration and teamwork of the many government and non-governmental agencies who make up the mission this year. "This deployment offers an incredible opportunity to continue to build the relationships and capabilities that will be essential in responding to a real world disaster in the region," said Franchetti. Read more Military Children Prepare Care Packages for the Deployed Last month, military children stuffed care packages for service members overseas. The USO-hosted event brought children together at Fort Belvoir, Va., to show their support for service members and provide them with toiletries, non-perishable food and personalized notes. Warrior Care Spotlight: Battling PTSD, Major Shares His Story  Ryan Kranc was traveling with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment near Ramadi, Iraq, on July 23, 2003, when his convoy was hit with an improvised explosive device. Kranc, now an Army major, survived. His commander and friend, Capt. Josh T. Byers, did not. Six years and two full combat tours later, Kranc committed himself to recovering from the emotional wounds sustained on that day in 2003. While serving in Saudi Arabia in 2009, he notified his command that he had a problem. Although he had sought counseling before, Kranc decided he needed more intervention. He entered treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for six weeks. Kranc said the traumatic events of the war have forever changed his life, but because of his treatment he can now move forward. Read more inTransition Provides Continuity of Behavioral Health Care  Frequent transitions are a part of military service. Active duty service members often relocate from base to base, members of the National Guard and Reserve transition between military and civilian lives, and perhaps the most significant transition occurs when a service member separates from the military altogether. Consider this: A 20-year military career will likely include seven to 10 changes in station or status.
That’s why the Defense Department created inTransition, a new program that ensures continuity of behavioral health care for service members as they move between health care systems or providers. Providers can enroll transitioning service members in the program or service members can enroll themselves at any time by calling 1-800-424-7877 toll free, or 1-314-387-4700 collect from overseas. Read more. Research Roundup  Research, medical publications and articles from peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals are a vital part of the Military Health System. Each month MHS Vital Signs highlights notable research being conducted by the MHS and its counterparts. Better Prosthetics Coming for Wounded Warriors  From developing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic leg to a non-chafing socket device, the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center at Fort Detrick, Md., is making big strides in advancing prosthetic science to improve wounded warriors’ quality of life.
“The objective is to help amputees and traumatically wounded service members return to the highest level of functionality that they are capable of,” said Troy Turner, who manages the center’s advanced prosthetics and human performance portfolio. One of the center’s biggest triumphs to date is the X2 microprocessor leg, developed by Otto Bock HealthCare with TATRC funding. The new “C-leg,” being tested by above-the-knee amputees at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, uses a microprocessor to control the knee’s hydraulic functions. This, in turn, gives the wearer more flexibility to change speeds or directions without sacrificing stability. Read more Did You Know? A bill introduced to the U.S. Senate April 14 would, if passed into law, enable the dependent children of active duty service members and military retirees to remain covered by their parents’ TRICARE benefit until age 26. The bill is required to bring the TRICARE benefit in line with the health insurance reform law passed in March, which will allow civilian dependents to remain under their parents’ health coverage to the age of 26. Read more
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