Members of the Office of the Army Surgeon General's staff visited Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon on Feb. 25 to assess the progress of the facility's Traumatic Brain Injury program. As a result, the clinic has been fully validated in accordance with all of the guidelines set forth by the Surgeon General's Office.

The staff assistance visits are part of the Army Medical Command Organization Inspection Program. The visits are conducted at Army hospitals across the United States in order to establish a standardized, consistent process of identification, evaluation, and treatment of Soldiers and other patients with Traumatic Brain Injury throughout the Army Medical Department.

TBI is a disruption in brain function caused by a blow or jolt to the head, or an injury that penetrates the lining of the brain. The severity of such an injury can range from mild, also known as concussion, to severe. Mild TBI is by far the most common type of TBI, and the majority of Soldiers who sustain a mild TBI recover fully within hours to days.

"Eisenhower offers its patients a functional rehab program which is well designed and incorporates evidence based design and interventions," says Col. Barbara Springer, staff assistance visit site team leader.

"In addition, they have partnered with the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center for use of their active duty rehab unit and neurosurgery care, assuring that our Wounded Warriors have access to the best available care." DDEAMC is used primarily as a referral center for the Southeast region. The vast majority of patients at DDEAMC are members of the Army Reserve or National Guard.

For more information about the DDEAMC TBI program, contact Jennifer Chipman at (706) 787- 5301.