RETURNING VETERANS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS AND EMERGING PROBLEMS
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Office of Public Health & Environmental Hazards RETURNING VETERANS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS AND EMERGING PROBLEMS War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC) NJ VA Healthcare System
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RETURNING VETERANS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS AND EMERGING PROBLEMS. War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC) NJ VA Healthcare System. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of RETURNING VETERANS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS AND EMERGING PROBLEMS
Office of Public Health &Environmental Hazards
RETURNING VETERANS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS
AND EMERGING PROBLEMS
War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC)
NJ VA Healthcare System
The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)
A national program in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), initially established in 2001 to address
post-deployment health issues from the First Gulf War.
ABOUT THE WRIISC
Deployed Veterans have unique healthcare issues and concerns. The WRIISC now serves Veterans from any era or conflict with war related illnesses and injuries through clinical assessments, education, and research.
WRIISC REGIONAL MAP
WHO CAN WE HELP? Complex health history with no clear
cause medically unexplained symptoms—MUS
Concerns about deployment-related exposures Environmental Occupational
Local work up inconclusive or unavailable
CLINICAL EVALUATIONS
Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Evaluation Focus is on symptoms and improving function. Two-three day evaluation as pre-determined by WRIISC clinical
team
Environmental Exposure Consults Comprehensive available for Veterans of any conflict - No referral
necessary and phone consults available.
eConsults Medical record review with individualized recommendations for
next steps prior to other WRIISC evaluations
CLINICAL EVALUATION COMPONENTS
History and Physical Psychological Evaluation Neuropsychological Evaluation Environmental Exposure
Assessment Social Work Interview Education Session Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) Labs, X-ray's, EKGs, PFTs
EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
Occupational and environmental medicine physicians conduct exposure evaluations
Also done as a stand alone service to any Veteran of any era
Can be done over the telephone for Veterans living around the U.S.
TREATMENT ROADMAP
Team meeting with Veteran and family members
Written recommendations Veteran and Primary Care Provider
Hand off to home team Follow up care provided at referring VA facility
WRIISC FOLLOW UP Social Work calls at 1mo, 6 mo and 1 year
How are you doing? Barriers to recommendation implementation? Symptom management? How satisfied?
CLINICAL STATISTICS
Comprehensive evaluations in more than 1200 veterans to date
Patient Satisfaction Surveys overwhelmingly positive
Top 3 health concerns of Veterans: Musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, lack of sleep
EDUCATION
Environmental Exposures and Assessment
Medically Unexplained Symptoms
PTSD mTBI Reintegration Risk Communication
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Referrals
Clinical Care
Research
Knowledge
that
Benefits Veterans
Education
&
Outreach
WRIISC RESEARCH
Basic Science Studies Physiological Studies Behavioral studies Complementary-
Alternative Medicine Clinical Treatment
Trials Health Services
Research
SUMMARY1. Primary WRIISC components are:
Clinical evaluations Research Education
2. The WRIISC provides holistic, multi-disciplinary clinical care to help deployed Veterans of any era improve their health, function, and quality of life.
3. Research is informed by clinical experience
4. Education is informed by clinical experience and research
5. We engage the community of Veterans and other stakeholders directly
WRIISC CONTACT INFO NJ WRIISC: 1-800-248-8005 or
[email protected] CA WRIISC: 1-888-482-4376
[email protected] DC WRIISC: 1-800-722-8340 or
[email protected] www.warrelatedillness.va.gov
Questions??
