WASHINGTON – Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) testified today before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in support of her legislation to authorize a pilot healthcare program for veterans who suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in combat. 

“This is an important step for this bill,” noted Capito.  “Traumatic brain injuries have surfaced as a major concern for those involved in care for our veterans, and policy-makers need to recognize – and act – on the challenges facing our service members.” 

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) affect approximately twenty percent of those injured in Iraq and can lead to a wide range of symptoms that range from persistent head-aches to extreme memory loss, seizures and dramatic personality changes.  In many cases TBI is accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can complicate TBI recovery efforts.

There are currently four Veterans Affairs facilities in the United States engaged in TBI Treatment.  The treatment center in Richmond, Va. is the facility most accessible to West Virginians.

In authoring the bill, Capito noted that traveling to these facilities can be difficult and expensive for veterans and their families.

“This bill seeks solutions for those veterans who desperately need care, but may not reside near one of the four facilities engaged in TBI treatment,” said Capito.  “We need to be realistic about the fact that most veterans cannot readily access one of these facilities, and therefore we need to be creative with how we care for them.” 

Under the pilot program outlined in this bill, a partnership between local healthcare providers and the Department of Veterans Affairs would enable local medical professionals to augment and support treatment efforts for geographically-isolated veterans in their communities.

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