History

DVBIC was founded in 1992, largely in response to the first Persian Gulf War, under the name Defense and Veterans Head Injury Program. At that time, its goal was to integrate specialized TBI care, research and education across military and veteran medical care systems. DVBIC now supports a network of 16 centers, operating out of 12 military treatment facilities and four Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. The specific activities vary at each site and can include conducting research; providing education in military and civilian settings; providing direct care to service members; helping service members, veterans and their families locate services; and assessing TBI injury data.

2012

  • DVBIC Celebrates 20 years of service.
    View this timeline graphic

2010

  • DVBIC-Charlottesville Rehabiliation Programs (previously known as Lakeview Virginia NeuroCare Inc.) renamed

2009

  • 3rd Annual TBI Military Training Conference held
  • Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System joined DVBIC network
  • DVBIC partnered with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a mission to Iraq and Afghanistan, seeking to optimize and improve care of our wounded warriors with TBI and concussion
  • DVBIC led the U.S. delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exploratory team on concussion/mild TBI (mTBI) to begin development of international standards
  • Co-sponsored the scientific meeting of the International Brain Injury Association
  • Participated in the first U.S.-Japan TBI symposium as well as military information exchanges with both Israel and the Republic of Korea

2008

  • DVBIC Tele-TBI Clinic and Remote Assessment Center established
  • Laurel Highlands Neuro-Rehabilitation Center renamed DVBIC-Johnstown
  • Defense Health Board-appointed Family Caregiver Panel held first meeting
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DoD) Evidence-Based Work Group convened to work on evidence-based guidelines for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)/concussion
  • Special issues mTBI/concussion conference held
  • BrainLine.org launched in collaboration with WETA
  • First issue of DVBIC Brainwaves newsletter published
  • 2nd Annual TBI Military Training Conference held

2007

  • COL (Sel) Michael S. Jaffee, M.D., named DVBIC National Director
  • Camp Lejeune (N.C.) joined DVBIC network
  • Fort Hood (Texas) joined DVBIC network
  • “Survive Thrive & Alive: Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury” documentary released featuring Gen. Colin L. Powell, (Ret)
  • Tbi.Consult in-theater consultation launched
  • 1st Annual TBI Military Training Conference held
  • DVBIC mission expanded to include TBI surveillance per Department of Defense-Health Affairs policy
  • Clinical Management Guidance for non-deployed medical activities (mTBI/concussion) released
  • Regional Care Coordination program launched
  • DVBIC designated the primary operational TBI component of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE)

2006

  • Laurel Highlands Neuro-Rehabilitation Center (precursor to DVBIC-Johnstown and second civilian site) joined DVBIC network
  • Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany joined DVBIC network
  • “Guidelines for Field Management of Combat-related Head Trauma” developed in coordination with the Brain Trauma Foundation
  • Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE) deployed
  • Hosted consensus conference for deployment of acute management of mTBI/concussion in theater guidelines
  • Completed a second randomized study of two approaches to TBI rehabilitation in a large sample of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with moderate-to-severe TBI

2005

  • Brooke Army Medical Center joined DVBIC network through formation of San Antonio Military Medical Center, Texas, with Wilford Hall Medical Center
  • Fort Bragg (N.C.) and Fort Carson (Colo.) joined DVBIC network
  • TBI surveillance efforts began per tasking of the Office of the Surgeon General and Department of Defense-Health Affairs
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) augmented DVBIC resources to create polytrauma system of care
  • Video teleconferencing began between Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Veterans Affairs (VA) polytrauma centers to facilitate a seamless transition of care

2004

  • Lessons-Learned Military TBI Conference held at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.
  • National Institute of Health began Phase III of Vietnam Head Injury Study (VHIS)
  • Joint Readiness Clinical Advisory Board established

2003

  • Operation Iraqi Freedom began
  • Convened an expert advisory board that recommended assigning top priority to the characterization of wartime TBI cohorts, in terms of both acute and long-term outcomes
  • First comprehensive TBI screening program in an at-risk hospitalized population was initiated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
  • DVBIC.org website launched

2001

  • Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan began
  • Defense and Veterans Head Injury Program (DVHIP) renamed Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC)
  • Deborah L Warden, M.D., succeeded Andres M. Salazar, M.D., as national director
  • DVBIC-Charlottesville Rehabilitation Programs (previously known as Lakeview Virginia NeuroCare Inc.) became first civilian partner, providing community re-entry services

2000

  • Conducted and published first large randomized clinical trial of TBI rehabilitation

1999

  • Concussion Clinic established by DVHIP at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

1994

  • Naval Medical Center San Diego became DVHIP lead TBI center

1993-2000

  • DVHIP documented incidence of TBI during peacetime

1992

  • Brain Injury Resource Center developed in collaboration with the Brain Injury Association – an interactive information kiosk for patients, families and caregivers
  • Congress established DVHIP. Lead TBI centers were:
    • Walter Reed Army Medical Center
    • Wilford Hall Medical Center
    • Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center
    • Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System
    • Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center
    • James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Medical Center

1991

  • Persian Gulf War (First Gulf War) ended

1981

  • National Institutes of Health began Phase II of Vietnam Head Injury Study (VHIS)

1974

  • National Institutes of Health began Phase I of Vietnam Head Injury Study (VHIS)