Army Col. spends time at Camp Lejeune to raise TBI awareness

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

09.03.2014

Courtesy Story

Marine Corps Installations East       

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - More than 300,000 service members have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury since 2000, but military leadership across the country are working to combat those numbers.

Army Col. Sidney R. Hinds, the national director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center visited Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune to tour the TBI and hospital facilities aboard base, Sept. 3.

DVBIC was founded in 1992, and hoped to integrate TBI care, research and education across military and medical care systems.

Hinds is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s mission, which is to ensure service members receive state-of-the-art medical care.

He also visited to discuss the initiative, “A Head for the Future,” which is designed to promote TBI awareness, education and prevention.

“The biggest thing is the numbers,” said Hinds, a native of Norwalk, Connecticut. “The vast majority of those brain injuries have been mild, but what we know is 80% are diagnosed back here in garrison. Based on what we do, we are prone to brain injury.”

Hinds hopes to get service members comfortable approaching the medical system for their problems.

“As soon as you start to feel an alteration in consciousness or feel any different you should seek medical attention immediately,” said Hinds. “Early detection leads to early treatment and that can save lives.”

Whether in garrison or combat, service members are prone to injury.

“Our daily tasks and training are not normal,” said Hinds. “We are not like the other 99% of the country, and we have to ensure that we are being safe and taking care of each other.”
One of the tasks of DVBIC is to design a 15-year longitudinal study of the effects of TBI in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

"DVBIC's downloadable resources, though tailored for the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs, are very useful and publically available for anyone needing information on the signs, symptoms and treatment of TBI," said Lt. Cmdr. Ranjodh Gill, U.S. Public Health Service, DVBIC Office of Education Materials.

• Date Taken: 09.03.2014
• Date Posted: 09.15.2014 08:33
• Story ID: 142157
• Location: MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US