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
For the second consecutive year, the Elmendorf hospital was named the best hospital in the Air Force after receiving the Air Force Surgeon General Award Feb. 3.
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
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.
A new study has found that more than one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who enrolled in the veterans health system after 2001 received a diagnosis of a mental health problem, most often post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.