Title
Authorizing Council's Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold hearings investigating whether the Philadelphia area's VA Medical Centers are properly screening and treating returning Veterans for brain injuries.
Body
WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant health issue which affects military service members and veterans. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) defines TBI as "a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain." The leading causes of TBI for service members are blasts and explosions. TBI can be classified as mild, moderate, severe, or penetrating, and the severity is determined based on symptoms at the time of injury; and
WHEREAS, There is also growing evidence that a physical injury to the brain can make people susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that can cause flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety for years after a traumatic event. Studies of troops who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have found that service members who have suffered a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury are far more likely to develop PTSD; and
WHEREAS, According to the DVBIC, the Department of Defense's office of responsibility for tracking TBI data in the U.S. military, 352,619 service members have been diagnosed with TBI since 2000. This figure includes 9,214 TBI diagnoses between January 1 and June 30, 2016; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports that between 11-20% of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans have PTSD in a given year. About 12% of Gulf War veterans have PTSD in a given year, and it is estimated that about 30% of Vietnam War veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, Concerns have arisen that the VA has not been appropriately screening veterans for TBI. The VA has admitted that many veterans were examined by medical providers who were not qualified...
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