Tampa, FL: Local DVBIC Activities
James A Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL
EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE AND COORDINATION
The DVBIC education coordinator (EC) at the James A Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa serves various functions, chief among them are:
- Interaction with and education of the families of the rehabilitating service members
- Outreach to the military community throughout the states of FL, GA, AL, MS and SC
- Education of hospital staff and healthcare providers on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and TBI related topics
The most prominent role is coordination of the Family Education Group. This is a weekly group open to all inpatient and outpatient family members of TBI/Polytrauma patients. Experts from the treatment team and around the hospital are recruited to present on various topics to educate families on the many aspects of their loved ones rehabilitation. Topics include Medications Used in TBI Rehabilitation, Stress Management for Caregivers & Behavior Changes after TBI. DVBIC sponsors the group, providing refreshments to attendees. The EC works closely with the polytrauma psychologists, social workers and nursing staff to create a team approach in patient/family care.
Outreach from the Tampa VA is performed by traveling to locations to provide information and education and also by distance through phone consultations and mailings of educational materials. For instance, if a military base calls asking for more information on TBI and concussion, we can put together a package of items and ship to their facility quickly. In addition, if military medical personnel would like additional training on TBI, our department can travel and provide that information in person or arrange for a DVBIC or other expert to present that information on site.
As for education of healthcare providers & staff at the Tampa VA, the EC works to offer the latest information on care and clinical standards. Two manners in which this is done is through sponsorship of Grand Rounds for the Polytrauma Physical Medicine Department. Bringing speakers to the hospital to interact personally with the staff goes far in providing the latest information on an array of TBI rehabilitation topics. Our most prominent role in education to providers, however, is our annual presentation of the Blast Injury Conference. The EC is the point person for arranging the content and logistics of the conference. This brings in speakers from around the U.S. and the world to update attendees on the latest science in the treatment of TBI. The conference is held in December annually and 2009 will proudly be our 6th Blast Injury Conference.
REGIONAL CARE COORDINATION
The Regional Care Coordinator (RCC) is responsible for screening regional inquiries and providing assessment and referral services to regionally located TBI beneficiaries. This involves working with the admission and screening team for those appropriate for admission to the Tampa VA. The Tampa RCC provides follow-up for all DVBIC TBI patients who reside within, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to, or retire to the southeast US catchment area. Follow-up care is coordinated with local case managers within Department of Defense (DoD)/Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) systems. The RCC follow-up program allows for the development and management of a national active duty/veteran TBI database. To this end, the RCC provides support to the DVBIC National Office of Care Coordination.
The RCC in Tampa works to develop and maintain an up-to-date, comprehensive regional resource bank of TBI services and programs which are available to the active duty and veteran population within the southeast catchment area. Participation in professional activities, including providing educational training and attending professional conferences on behalf of DVBIC is also part of the role of the RCC. In addition, the RCC works closely with the Tampa DVBIC Education Coordinator to conduct trainings and presentations related to TBI and care coordination.
RESEARCH
We are involved nationally in two DVBIC research protocols:
- Effectiveness of Methylphenidate Therapy During Early TBI Recovery. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of methylphenidate (MP) initiated during acute rehabilitation in improving outcome after severe TBI.
- Prospective Traumatic Brain Injury Tracking. The goal of this study is to ensure that all military and Department of Veterans Affair (DVA) patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) receive TBI-specific screening, treatment and follow-up, while at the same time collecting standardized patient outcome data.
In addition to these DVBIC funded studies, there are over 10 VA funded studies in Traumatic Brain Injury assessment and treatment. Among other things, these studies assess the effects of blast injuries in returning Florida National Guard, evaluate the reliability, validity, and effectiveness of various VA nationwide VA identification, evaluation, treatment, and tracking policies and procedures for TBI, evaluate gait and balance issues (particularly under higher cognitive demand situation), quality of life issues in individuals with TBI, and cost-effective and innovative treatment approaches such as telehealth and web-based interventions.
The DVBIC Research Coordinator is also involved in weekly cognitive rounds. Patients in the Emerging Consciousness Program are evaluated and their treatment is discussed by a team comprised of Neurologists, Psychiatrists, Speech Pathologists, Physiatrists, Social Workers, Residents and Research Personnel.