FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The first face transplant performed in the United States, one of only four in the world, made headlines in December, and it won't be long before face and hand transplants are performed in the military.
3/12/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Health care providers at the largest Air Force medical center on the West Coast are using state-of-the-art, interactive human patient simulators as just one of many safety initiatives to improve medical care, the medical center's commander said March 11
A team sponsored by the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force released a report Thursday stating that mental and traumatic brain injury health issues should be handled by the secretary of defense so they can be more quickly addressed, and recommended that Congress appropriate $350 million to fund a list of other proposals that the team laid out.
The Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross announced that a new course, Coping With Deployments: Psychological First Aid for Military Families, is now available. The course, offered free of charge, is open to military family members of active duty, Reserve and National Guard forces, as well as veterans and their families. It is not offered to the general public.
Working together toward the same end-strengthening the health care capacity and crisis response capabilities of African nations to ultimately empower Africans to improve their health and security-was the theme of a conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Military Health System that introduced the new U.S. Africa Command surgeon to an array of partners from the military, Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the African Union.
Last week, we learned that the United States Marine Corps had banned the use of social media sites by its active members. Today, some new information has come
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)
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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
In today's Military, deployments are part of life. Pending a deployment in the States or overseas, the family, especially the children, may have anxiety and concerns. Not to worry, there are many ways to help children cope with the absence of a deployed parent.
About three out of every 1,000 doctors were the targets of serious disciplinary actions by state medical boards last year.
An annual report out from the watchdog group Public Citizen says the nationwide rate of serious actions, such as license revocations and suspensions, was 2.92 per 1,000 doctors last year. That was unchanged from the prior year - but remains below a peak of 3.72 in 2004.
According to the National Institutes of Health, Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer.