Fort Carson, CO: Local DVBIC Activities
Mission:
Fort Carson Defense Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) Site meets DVBIC mission by providing Education, Care Coordination, and Research services concerning Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) to our region’s active, reserve, guard and community populations.
Our region includes CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, and WY.
Regional Education and Outreach:
- Outreach across our six state region
- Community awareness & prevention
- Patient and family education
- Healthcare provider education
- Professional & ancillary staff education
- Tri-Monthly Back to Basic mTBI Classes
- Reintegration classes for post-deployed service and family members
- Monthly TBI Spouse Caregiver Support Group
- Family Readiness Group (FRG), Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA), and Rear Detachment Training
- FRG Briefs
- Pre-Deployment Briefs
- Command Briefs
- In-service training for ACS (Army Community Service) staff
- In-service training for MFLCs (Military Family Life Consultants) licensed social workers that work with the military members and their familiesWTU Briefs for service members and cadre
Regional Care Coordination:
- Serves as a single point of contact with specialized TBI knowledge and monitors progress
- Contacts TBI patients and field calls
- Provides education and support to TBI patients and their families
- Provides expert consultation
- Assists in evaluation of treatment and discharge plans and eases transition to next level of care
- Advises patients, family members, and providers on ways to manage cognitive, emotional and behavioral issues
- Conducts follow-up interviews at 3,6,12 and 24 months
- Measures and documents progress in a DVBIC/DCoE developed web-based data repository system
Research Program:
- Evaluation of cognitive rehabilitation techniques based on:
- Motor planning and sequencing training (Interactive Metronome Therapy)
- Peripheral and central nervous system-based biofeedback training
- Electrophysiological stimulation techniques (e.g., Transcranial Direct
- Current Stimulation, or TCDS)
- Pending IRB Review/ Research Trails in Development Phases
- Evaluation of deployment related TBI screening tools:
- Development of computerized, kiosk-based, mass assessment methods and systems
Personnel Information:
| Site Director: |
Major Karl Brewer, MD |
| Deputy Site Director: |
CDR Renee Pazdan, MD |
| Principal Investigator: |
Major Karl Brewer, MD |
| Program Manager: |
Mr Don Schwandt |
| Regional Education Coordinator: |
Robin R Wininger, BA |
| Regional Education Coordinator: |
Tamara Clark, MA, BA |
| Regional Care Coordinator: |
Joanne Smaldino-Bennett, BSN, RN |
| Care Coordinator: |
Paula Creamer, RN, BSN |
| Regional Research Coordinator: |
Karen Schardin, BA, BS, CCRC |
| Research Neuropsychologist: |
Lonnie A Nelson, PhD |
| Clinical Research Associate: |
Margaret MacDonald, MD |
| Research Assistant: |
Christina Glover, BS |
| Database Management Admin: |
James LaTour |