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Bringing ideas and experience aplenty from the West Coast to the nation's capital, TRICARE's new deputy director can quickly and easily sum up TRICARE's importance to America's uniformed service members, retirees and their families. "When you join the military you're promised a comprehensive health care benefit," said Navy Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, the new deputy director of the TRICARE Management Activity. "We want to ensure it is available in all locations and over all the periods of life."

Col. (Dr.) Francisco J. Rentas, Director of Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) discusses the organization and its efforts surrounding National Blood Donor M...

The service has 3,463 slots, but just 3,195 nurses, a shortfall of 268, according to Col. Donnalee Sykes, Director of AF Nursing Services. To help alleviate the shortage, the Air Force is offering enlisted airmen the chance to earn their nursing degree and become an officer in exchange for a four-year commitment as a nurse

During a roundtable discussion at the Pentagon yesterday as part of "Brain Injury Awareness Month," Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree K. Sutton, director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, said more than 90 percent of servicemembers with TBI have concussions and recover quickly.

As Armed Services Blood Program officials join with the rest of the nation in observing National Blood Donor Month, the program's director expressed gratitude for the more than 165,000 donations from Defense Department military, civilians and their families in 2008.

Today we hear from Dr. Shakir Jawad, former director general of health in Iraq. He now serves on the faculty of Uniformed Services University and as a member of the Office of International Health.

Michael Kilpatrick, M.D. , Director of Strategic Communications for the Military Health System visits NNMC Bethesda "As we left Bethesda from a visit that was anticipated to be for "giving," I realized that once again I had "received." The fortitude and determination of a young Marine had rekindled my resolve to make certain the Military Health System always delivers on this obligation. The energy and enthusiasm of the hospital staff assured me the MHS has skills and compassion to do "the right thing."

t's been around since 2007, but the success of the Military Health System blog has surpassed expectations. Dr. Michael Kilpatrick is the Director of Military Health System Strategic Communications. He tells us that the importance of keeping in contact with members of the military and their families really can't be understated. He also says the blog helped make a lot of important information much more accessible to them.

Photos New PTSD Clinic uses virtual reality Dr. Alan Maiers (left), the assistant chief of the Warrior Resiliancy Program at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, simulates a virtual reality city patrol Aug. 26 for Maj. Monty Baker, the Warrior Resiliancy Program director of research. The virtual reality program is designed to treat servicemembers who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder after returning from combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Amber Bressler) Download HiRes Wilford Hall opens new PTSD Clinic Posted 9/17/2009 Email story Print story by Linda Frost 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs 9/17/2009 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Wilford Hall Medical Center has a new clinic to treat patients who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. The PTSD Clinic offers evidence-based treatments and a virtual reality program to help Airmen returning from combat operations. PTSD is an anxiety disorder which can occur after a person has been through a traumatic event, according to the National Center for PTSD. "We want to provide the highest quality care possible for patients experiencing PTSD," said Col. (Dr.) Gerald Talcott, 59th Medical Wing Mental Health Squadron commander. As part of the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, the PTSD Clinic was created in response to the increasing number of service and family members with PTSD. It is timely in that it coincides with the establishment of the Air Force's new Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, a pilot program initiated at eight Air Force bases. The Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, using a computer-simulated Virtual Iraq and Virtual Afghanistan, allows Airmen to interact and recreate a traumatic scene and recall sights, sounds, smells, thoughts and feelings. Still in its preliminary stages, the clinic staff started seeing patients Aug. 3, and is led by Dr. Kellie Crowe, staff psychologist. "We are very excited about providing evidence-based treat

Treatment for servicemembers suffering from psychological trauma really is a brave new world. Before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there was little research on effective treatments and not much pressure to add to what existed, said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree Sutton, director of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Sutton, at a Warrior Resilience Conference here, said her office has been working with the services to develop treatment programs and is researching best medical practices. But the effort isn't a simple matter of an open checkbook; results count.