Office of Public Health &Environmental Hazards

RETURNING VETERANS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS

AND EMERGING PROBLEMS

War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC)

NJ VA Healthcare System

The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)

A national program in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), initially established in 2001 to address

post-deployment health issues from the First Gulf War.

ABOUT THE WRIISC

Deployed Veterans have unique healthcare issues and concerns. The WRIISC now serves Veterans from any era or conflict with war related illnesses and injuries through clinical assessments, education, and research.

WRIISC REGIONAL MAP

WHO CAN WE HELP? Complex health history with no clear

cause medically unexplained symptoms—MUS

Concerns about deployment-related exposures Environmental Occupational

Local work up inconclusive or unavailable

CLINICAL EVALUATIONS

Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Evaluation Focus is on symptoms and improving function. Two-three day evaluation as pre-determined by WRIISC clinical

team

Environmental Exposure Consults Comprehensive available for Veterans of any conflict - No referral

necessary and phone consults available.

eConsults Medical record review with individualized recommendations for

next steps prior to other WRIISC evaluations

CLINICAL EVALUATION COMPONENTS

History and Physical Psychological Evaluation Neuropsychological Evaluation Environmental Exposure

Assessment Social Work Interview Education Session Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (CAM) Labs, X-ray's, EKGs, PFTs

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT

Occupational and environmental medicine physicians conduct exposure evaluations

Also done as a stand alone service to any Veteran of any era

Can be done over the telephone for Veterans living around the U.S.

TREATMENT ROADMAP

Team meeting with Veteran and family members

Written recommendations Veteran and Primary Care Provider

Hand off to home team Follow up care provided at referring VA facility

WRIISC FOLLOW UP Social Work calls at 1mo, 6 mo and 1 year

How are you doing? Barriers to recommendation implementation? Symptom management? How satisfied?

CLINICAL STATISTICS

Comprehensive evaluations in more than 1200 veterans to date

Patient Satisfaction Surveys overwhelmingly positive

Top 3 health concerns of Veterans: Musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, lack of sleep

EDUCATION

Environmental Exposures and Assessment

Medically Unexplained Symptoms

PTSD mTBI Reintegration Risk Communication

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Referrals

Clinical Care

Research

Knowledge

that

Benefits Veterans

Education

&

Outreach

WRIISC RESEARCH

Basic Science Studies Physiological Studies Behavioral studies Complementary-

Alternative Medicine Clinical Treatment

Trials Health Services

Research

SUMMARY1. Primary WRIISC components are:

Clinical evaluations Research Education

2. The WRIISC provides holistic, multi-disciplinary clinical care to help deployed Veterans of any era improve their health, function, and quality of life.

3. Research is informed by clinical experience

4. Education is informed by clinical experience and research

5. We engage the community of Veterans and other stakeholders directly

WRIISC CONTACT INFO NJ WRIISC: 1-800-248-8005 or

WRIISC.NJ@VA.GOV CA WRIISC: 1-888-482-4376

orWRIISC.CA@VA.GOV DC WRIISC: 1-800-722-8340 or

WRIISC.DC@VA.GOV www.warrelatedillness.va.gov

Questions??