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Centers of Excellence

Military Health System Centers of Excellence were established to provide the Department of Defense with the ability to speed the advancement of our scientific knowledge and evidence-based practices for diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions that impact our military personnel and their families with the help of a “critical mass” of experts.

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Interview with the SEAC: TBI from a Joint Perspective

Video

7/18/2022

Interview with the SEAC: TBI from a Joint Perspective

In this episode of Picking Your Brain, Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence Branch Chief Capt. Scott Cota and clinical moderator Amanda Gano interview the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC), Ramón Colón-López. The discussion covers the health impacts of TBI and blast-related concussion stemming from the demands of combat and training. The SEAC also addresses the importance of maintaining medical readiness through education and military leadership. Listen to more Picking Your Brain episodes at www.health.mil/TBIPodcasts, on DVIDS, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Protecting Your Hearing and Vision is a Personal Readiness Mission

Article

6/14/2022

Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Dominique Campbell drives a forklift on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during a vertical replenishment. She is wearing proper hearing and vision protection.

Experts from the Centers of Excellence help advance research to diagnose and treat diseases and conditions that affect military personnel and their families.

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Centers of Excellence

Cancer Patients Discuss Experiences During DOD Moonshot 2 Initiative Roundtable

Article

5/17/2022

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) hosted a Department of Defense Cancer Moonshot Roundtable, “A Conversation on Cancer Health Equity and Military-relevant Environmental Exposures,” on May 4. (Photo: Courtesy of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)

On May 4, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) hosted the Department of Defense Cancer Moonshot Roundtable as part of a day-long series of agency events sponsored by the White House Cancer Moonshot initiative.

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Centers of Excellence | Cancer Moonshot

DOD Cancer Research Program Aims to 'End Cancer as We Know It Today'

Article

5/3/2022

Dr. Craig Shriver is leading a renewed DOD/DHA effort to significantly expand cancer research and save lives through personalized medical treatments using proteogenomics. Shriver is director of the John P. Murtha Cancer Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. (Photo: Bernard Little, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center)

DOD/DHA to greatly expand Military Health System cancer research, with a roundtable on the effort slated for May 4.

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Centers of Excellence | Cancer Moonshot

New Centers Will Deliver Advanced Care for Serious Eye Injuries

Article

4/27/2022

Army Brig. Gen. Katherine Simonson, Defense Health Agency Deputy Assistant Director of the Research and Engineering Directorate, and Dr. Barclay Butler, Assistant Director for Management, DHA, talks with Army Lt. Col. Samantha Rodgers, Ophthalmology chief (left), during a tour and designation ceremony April 19 at the Ocular Trauma Center – San Antonio Region, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The designation ceremony marked the launch of DHA’s first Ocular Trauma Center, comprised of personnel from Brooke Army Medical Center and the 59th Medical Group. (Photo: Larine H. Barr, DOD)

The Defense Health Agency launched the first of four Ocular Trauma Centers, which will become primary hubs for the treatment of complex eye injuries and development of cutting-edge research programs.

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Centers of Excellence | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention | Vision Center of Excellence | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention

Data Registry Helps Improve Research and Treatment for Eye Injuries

Article

3/14/2022

Pvt. Second Class Jagger Dixon, treats an eye injury during Expert Infantryman Badge testing, June 15, 2021, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Dixon is a soldier with B Company; 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Soldiers must successfully execute a variety of warrior tasks to earn their EIB. (Photo: Army Spc. Kay Edwards, 27th Public Affairs Detachment)

Eye injury registry (DVEIVR) transforms data into usable information to help improve initial warfighter care and rehabilitation.

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Centers of Excellence | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention | Vision Center of Excellence

It’s True – Carrots (and Other Vegetables) Can Help You See in the Dark

Article

3/4/2022

Each color in fruits and vegetables indicates an abundance of specific nutrients.

Have you ever heard that carrots are good for your eyes, or that they can help you see in the dark? It’s true – carrots are rich in the compound beta carotene, which your body uses to make a form of vitamin A that helps your eyes adjust in the dark. A shortage of vitamin A can cause a host of health problems, including blindness.

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Nutritional Fitness | Centers of Excellence | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention | Vision Center of Excellence

For Thousands of Troops, Eye Surgery is Key to Vision Readiness

Article

2/10/2022

$A surgical team with the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg monitors the progress of a patient's surgery inside the Ophthalmology Clinic's Refractive Surgery suite.$

Helping service members – especially aviators – see clearly without glasses is key to military readiness.

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Acute Concussion Pathway of Care: MACE 2 and PRA Training

Publication

10/26/2021

The Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence is hosting a combined Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE 2) and Progressive Return to Activity (PRA) clinical recommendation virtual training.

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Hearing Center of Excellence: Ear Protection

Video

10/26/2021

Hearing Center of Excellence: Ear Protection

Tips for protecting your hearing using the proper protection.

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Assessment and Management of Dizziness and Visual Disturbances Following Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Publication

10/22/2021

This clinical recommendation provides medical staff with a single, comprehensive reference for the assessment and management of dizziness and visual disturbances following mild TBI/concussion. Dizziness and visual disturbances often present with overlapping symptoms and should prompt a provider to perform a visual and dizziness—or vestibular—assessment.

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Improving Relationships after TBI

Publication

10/21/2021

Flier for the Interactive Relationship Building Workshop for Active-Duty Military and Veteran TBI Caregivers and Families: This flier provides information on TBICoE's educational session for caregivers of active-duty service members and veterans who have sustained a TBI. In addition to sharing caregiver resources and current research initiatives, webinar topics will also include relationship building strategies, improving communication and addressing intimacy after TBI.

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2000-Q2 2021 DOD Worldwide Numbers for TBI

Publication

10/14/2021

TBICoE is the Defense Department’s office of responsibility for tracking traumatic brain injury data in the U.S. military. Here you’ll find data on the number of active-duty service members—anywhere U.S. forces are located—with a first-time TBI diagnosis from calendar year 2000 through the second quarter of 2021. The data is also broken down by each branch of the armed services.

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Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence | DOD TBI Worldwide Numbers | Centers of Excellence | Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence