2008 Annual Report TATRC
Abstract
TATRC had many opportunities to support the deployed Warfighter in 2008. Highlights of our accomplishments are illustrated throughout this report. It is beyond the scope of this summary to present the important achievements of each one of our more than 500 active programs and projects. However, I want to highlight the activities of one important TATRC program area: the tele-traumatic brain injury (Tele-TBI) Program, led by TATRC Deputy Director COL Ron Poropatich. At the request of the Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG), COL Poropatich and his team put in place a system to help injured Warfighters and their families link to their healthcare providers by simple cell phone technology. They increased remote access for critical care monitoring by placing commercially available robots in several key medical centers. The team obtained approval through a Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement (JUONS) to increase medical bandwidth in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) operational theater. This one action will save lives thanks to the timely transmission of large amounts of data such as brain scans. COL Poropatich also obtained approval to connect NATO forces in Afghanistan into the successful Army Knowledge Online (AKO) Teleconsultation Service that allows rapid turnaround expert medical consultations from Army providers to health care providers operating in remote operational environments. These TATRC team efforts remind us that telemedicine provides relevant and affordable solutions that extend limited resources and provide better health care. In 2008, neurobiology technologies were a pervasive focus, based on a congressional mandate to improve protection and treatment of psychological health and traumatic brain injury (PH/TBI) and ocular trauma in response to injuries associated with the signature weapon of the current conflict, the improvised explosive device (IED).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA510903
Entities
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research and Development Command