VCOM 2019 Annual Report

Research that Benefits Members of our Military

Engaging with the Department of Defense V COM is working with American Defense International, Inc. (ADI) to bring attention to research that directly aligns with DOD and Department of Veterans Affairs funding priorities. VCOM’s research initiatives resonate strongly with both agencies. This research includes: • Addressing the chronic pain, opioid crisis and opioid withdrawal by management and treatment options for veterans, such as OMT • Advanced concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) research on prevention, management and therapies • Nanoparticle technology to improve the lifespan of stored blood providing alternative and adjunctive pain

Bringing the Secretary of Veteran Affairs to VCOM O ne tremendous step toward bringing attention to VCOM research was arranging a visit to the VCOM-Carolinas campus by the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Honorable Robert Wilkie accompanied by his wife, Julia Wilkie, and a team of aids and advisors. Research department leadership and ADI representatives attended the event. Secretary Wilkie received briefings on VCOM’s work to improve healthcare for veterans in rural areas, and research focused on benefiting our military partners. After a tour of VCOM–Carolinas’ state-of-the-art facilities, Wilke and the group listened to a research presentation by Gunnar Brolinson, DO, VCOM’s Vice Provost for Research, and Skip Garner, PhD, Associate Vice Provost for Research Development. Drs. Brolinson and Garner shed light on some of the many innovative avenues of research currently explored at VCOM, including sports medicine and Department of Defense (DOD) research into prevention and rapid diagnosis of concussions as well as research involving wearable performance monitors to improve care of injured soldiers on the battlefield. Mr. Wilkie joined VCOM students for a round table Q&A session, outlining his plan to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs during his tenure as Secretary. Students present were beneficiaries of the military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which offers students paid medical

education in exchange for military service. The Secretary assured students that as a veteran, he would keep their current and future healthcare interests in mind as he steers the agency, which employs 377,805 people and serves over nine million veterans each year.

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