Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the northern Rockies or the Dakotas.
Requires the Fort Harrison Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, to be evaluated as a potential location for such a Center or Site.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 666 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 666
To require a report on the establishment of a Polytrauma Rehabilitation
Center or Polytrauma Network Site of the Department of Veterans Affairs
in the northern Rockies or Dakotas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 29, 2011
Mr. Baucus (for himself, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Conrad, and
Mr. Tester) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a report on the establishment of a Polytrauma Rehabilitation
Center or Polytrauma Network Site of the Department of Veterans Affairs
in the northern Rockies or Dakotas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care
Improvement Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF A POLYTRAUMA REHABILITATION CENTER
OR POLYTRAUMA NETWORK SITE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES OR DAKOTAS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The States of the northern Rockies and the Dakotas are
among those States in the United States with the highest per
capita rates of veterans with injuries from military service in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
(2) Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become known as one of
the ``signature wounds'' of military service in Iraq and
Afghanistan due to its high occurrence among veterans of such
service.
(3) A recent RAND Corporation study estimates that as many
as 20 percent of the veterans of military service in Iraq and
Afghanistan have a traumatic brain injury as a result of such
service, and many of these veterans require ongoing care for
mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury.
(4) The Department of Veterans Affairs recommends that all
veterans experiencing a polytraumatic injury be referred to a
Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or a Polytrauma Network Site.
(5) The Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma System of
Care includes 4 Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers and 22
Polytrauma Network Sites, none of which are located in North
Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, eastern Washington, or
Wyoming, an area that encompasses approximately 740,000 square
miles.
(6) The vastness of this area imposes significant hardships
on veterans residing in this area who require care within the
Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma System of Care and
wish to live close to home while receiving care within such
system of care.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to Congress a report on the feasibility and
advisability of establishing a Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center
or Polytrauma Network Site for the Department of Veterans
Affairs in the northern Rockies or the Dakotas. One of the
locations evaluated as a potential location for the Polytrauma
Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site, as the case
may be, shall be the Fort Harrison Department of Veterans
Affairs hospital in Lewis and Clark County, Montana.
(2) Requirements.--The report required by this subsection
shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of the adequacy of existing
Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in the
northern Rockies and the Dakotas to address matters
that are otherwise addressed by Polytrauma
Rehabilitation Centers and Polytrauma Network Sites.
(B) A comparative assessment of the effectiveness
of rehabilitation programs for individuals with
traumatic brain injuries in urban areas with the
effectiveness of such programs for individuals with
traumatic brain injuries in rural and frontier
communities.
(C) An assessment whether the low cost of living in
the northern Rockies and the Dakotas could reduce the
financial stress faced by veterans receiving care for
traumatic brain injury and their families and thereby
improve the effectiveness of such care.
(D) An assessment whether therapies that can
prevent or remediate the development of secondary
neurologic conditions related to traumatic brain injury
can be interrupted by stress caused by living in an
urban area.
(3) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with
appropriate State and local government agencies in the northern
Rockies and the Dakotas in preparing the report required by
this subsection.
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Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1936)
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
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