LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System partners with Wilford Hall Medical Center's Hearing Center of Excellence in a mutually beneficial agreement that improves their patients' care.
According to their website, CTVHCS is a patient-centered integrated health care organization for veterans providing excellent health care, research and education. In fiscal year 2009, CTVHCS treated more than 80,000 unique patients and provided more than 9,000 inpatient days of care in the hospital. CTVHCS collaborates with Fort Hood, the largest military base in the world with the biggest troop commitment to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I was the first combat otolaryngologist and I saw that the most common thing that Veteran's Affairs makes these days is hearing aids," said Col. (Dr.) Joseph Brennan, 59th Medical Wing Otolaryngology Program director. "I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004. I saw 600-700 patients, and the number of hearing loss injuries was the most by far."
Dr. Brennan noticed that many of the combat service members chose not to wear their issued hearing protection because it interfered with their combat operations. This resulted in unprotected ears around the most common danger in Afghanistan -- improvised explosive devices.
Many of these patients go to CTVHCS, Dr. Brennan said, but some of their facilities aren't prepared for complex cases, so they are sent to Wilford Hall Medical Center here for additional treatment.
"Clinics at CTVHCS operate one to two weeks a month," said Dr. Brennan. "They don't treat some things, so the more complicated cases come here."
This cooperative relationship enables the patients to get the high quality care they need, and also helps the Wilford Hall Hearing Center of Excellence increase their knowledge database, called a registry, for research and development.
"The ultimate goal is to restore hearing and scientists are working hard to develop a way to restore the hairs that are destroyed in a blast," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Mark Packer, Hearing Center for Excellence director. "That's what we intend to do, continue to improve the system of care for our troops and continue monitoring and caring of the research process that is the answer to the way ahead."