Lynx wing opens its doors at JBER hospital

Published Feb. 23, 2012
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The enemy's favorite weapon today is the improvised explosive device and, as a result, some of the most common injuries on the battlefield are head injuries. As the war continues, mental health has gained priority and military medicine has continuously improved its mental health capabilities.

Medical leadership officially opened the Lynx Wing during a ceremony at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson medical facility Feb. 14, which houses one of the largest mental health clinics in the Air Force.

"It's actually the biggest in the Pacific Air Forces, one of the biggest in the Air Force," said Air Force Lt. Col. Joann Wilder, Mental Health Flight deputy commander and native of Seattle. "We're the only ones that have a traumatic brain injury clinic."

Mental health is a primary focus, she said, so this facility allows for more patients.
"Everything is going to be a one-stop shop for us," she said. "We love it here; this is the most perfect facility we've ever had."

The building was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District.
"We got to see a lot of TBI's in Iraq," said Army Lt. Col. Bobby Stone, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District and native of Greensboro, N.C. "I had to learn very quickly about the Corps and how important this facility was. This is really about the team. Over the years, the medical community, the Corps, the Air Force and Army have had a great relationship."

Deployments have increased the number of head injuries over time.

"It is really important that we take head concussions seriously, which is why our clinic exists today," said Air Force Maj. Marissa Cook, Mental Health Flight chief and native of Edinburg, Texas. "We exist primarily to support the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division."

During the ceremony, Air Force Col. Thomas Harrell, 673d Medical Group commander, explained their mission.

"We feel a sacred trust for our 4/25 members that are out the door, currently in Afghanistan, but also individuals, units and members of the Air Force side of JBER and the Richardson side that are out doing the bidding of our country," Harrell said. "But this facility also takes care of any beneficiary that happens to be an unfortunate recipient of TBI. We want you to know that our patients matter. They are valuable to us. The most important message you need to carry out into our community is that our patients matter. They trust us with their lives, and that is not trivial.

"We're moving from a TBI clinic to what can truly be called the TBI Center within this building," Harrell said. "Now we have TBI professionals that reach out to the entire Medical Group, the only place TBI does not touch is obstetrics, otherwise every service in this medical group functions to support mild traumatic injury. And now they are all co-located here because those patients need things to be as easy as possible when they are seeking their care."

We are resilient, not only as medics but into the fight and the community, he said.

"Our patient is the mission, so every patient that walks into our office is taken seriously," Cook said. "We will do our very best to treat every possible part of that patient that is necessary. We're going to make sure that that patient is taken care of. Do they have family problems? We can refer them to Family Advocacy. Do they have tinnitus or ringing in their ears? We can refer them to audiology. What I'm getting at is that the patient is truly our mission."

The center consists of the physician, the nurse practitioner, two licensed clinical social workers, a case manager, a certified occupational therapy assistant, two nurse case managers, one noncommissioned officer in charge and an Airman who serves as an administrative assistant, Cook said.

Additionally, the other two clinics that comprise the center are the neurology clinic headed by Air Force Maj. Tara Cook and the pain management clinic with Air Force Capt. Nichelle Cook and Dr. Joseph Klor. The neurology clinic has two neurologists and four technicians on staff. The pain management clinic also has two technicians on staff, she said.

"It's really awesome when patients leave here feeling relief," she said. "Some people that are afflicted with headaches have chronic headaches that last for weeks and months on end and don't ever go away. They may not be as painful some days but they are constant."

The best treatment for the TBI right after it happens is rest, fluids and getting away from the stress, she said. That's the best medicine for anyone with a head injury. Be in a dark room if you have headaches; get plenty of water and make sure you're eating appropriately, she said.

"We're doing a much better job at that in theater these days. We currently have a little more than 200 patients. What a patient can expect in TBI treatment is to recover in a few days or a few weeks. The most common symptoms we hear about from patients with TBI are headaches that start with the incident and stick around for days or weeks or, in rare cases, longer than that," she said. "Patients should expect that they will be just fine, just the way they were before the head injury occurred."

A majority of active duty members with TBI also have conconcurrent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"That's why our clinic is so focused on the holistic approach," she said. "We look at the whole person. If a patient comes in for headaches, we're going to look beyond the headaches and treat the whole person. When a patient comes to us, they can expect to get better; that's the take-home message."