National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE)

11/20/2024

Read this article for tips on how to help prevent TBI. Click this link to access the article: https://www.hprc-online.org/physical-fitness/injury-prevention/how-you-can-help-prevent-tbi

11/04/2024

Abel turns 3!

Last week, NICoE’s animal assisted therapy program Ambassador, Abel, turned 3 years old.

As the ambassador for animal assisted therapy Abel has worked with over 500 NICoE patients! Earlier this year, Abel was given a honorary commissioning and is currently a Navy Ensign.

Happy Birthday Abel! 🥳

11/01/2024

NICoE staff gathered for a Halloween Extraordinaire party. The party included a costume contest, a candy and treat share, and a photo booth.

Ana Tan, health system specialist, won the costume contest as the Mad Hatter. Janice James-Watson, nurse specialist, was the runner-up as the Queen of Hearts.

NICOE’s leadership came as Beauty (Dr. French, Deputy Director) and Brains (Col. Shannon Ford, Director)

Special thank you to NICoE’s Audiologist, Joanna Pearson for putting this together as the head of the planning committee.

10/31/2024

Hearing loss can have a significant effect on readiness and job performance. Watch this video to learn more about the importance of hearing protector fit testing to help prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

https://www.health.mil/MHSHome/News/Gallery/Dvids-Videos/2024/09/30/video938450

For service members diagnosed with TBI, the NICoE provides auditory care services.

10/30/2024

🌟 the NICoE provides experiential learning opportunities? 🌟 High school, college, and graduate students can dive into experiential learning with observational rotations or hands-on clinical experiences. 🩺✨ 🚀

10/29/2024

The 21st Annual Arts in Health Exhibit is coming. All WRNMMC community members are welcome to submit their art.

10/28/2024

🚀 Exciting news for our service members! The Defense Health Agency is rolling out targeted care at behavioral health clinics. This new approach connects you with the right mental health resources when you need them most, enhancing resilience and readiness. 💪🧠
Click this link to read the article: https://www.health.mil/News/Dvids-Articles/2024/08/09/news478235

10/24/2024

The DHA and the American Red Cross have eliminated the need for individual Memorandums of Agreement at the Medical Treatment Facility level. Local operating procedures are now required to be established between the MTF and local Red Cross offices. The Red Cross has volunteers across the country and overseas who recruit volunteers and coordinates their placement in MTFs (“Volunteer Program”).

You can help! Serve your country through a gift of yourself – become a Red Cross Volunteer at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. We serve all inpatients, their families, staff and visiting outpatients.

To begin the volunteer process, visit www.redcross.org, hover over "Volunteer", click "Find Your Perfect Fit," and be sure you are searching within the 20889 Zip Code

Every 8 minutes the American Red Cross responds to an emergency. Support the Red Cross. Join us today by making a donation.

10/23/2024

National Audiology Awareness Month

👂🎗️ October is National Audiology Awareness Month! At the NICoE, our dedicated audiologists are here to enhance the quality of life for our service members. Through expert evaluations and tailored support, we focus on comprehensive hearing, tinnitus management and central auditory processing. 🔊💬 Let’s spread awareness about the importance of hearing health!

10/23/2024

🎧 NICoE's audiology department is crucial in interdisciplinary care, ensuring patients' needs are holistically met. 🤝 🌟

Learn about the wonders of hearing this Audiology Awareness Month! Join on Oct. 24 for a virtual science café with Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Merkley. 🦻✨ Explore the ear’s anatomy, discover the causes of hearing loss, and experience it firsthand! Don't miss out! 🌟

Click the link for more information: https://health.mil/About-MHS/Military-Medical-History/Museum/Medical-Museum-Virtual-Science-Cafe-How-the-Ear-Works-An-Interactive-Journey-Through-Ear-Anatomy

10/22/2024

July 2024 saw the debut of the Defense Intrepid Network's Family Wellness Program (FWP) at the NICoE. The FWP is a translation of 15 years of innovative research into a clinical program by the TBICoE’s Caregiver and Family Member Study, and more recently, the Natural History of TBI Study.

Research

10/18/2024

NICoE recently celebrated National Service Dog Month with a visit from Julia Emmanuele and Carly Larkin, members of the communications team from . During their visit, they gained insight into the impactful work of the NICoE’s Animal Assisted Therapy Program.

The Animal Assisted Therapy program at NICoE is designed as a hands-on, goal-oriented intervention that provides significant therapeutic benefits to service members. Participants engage in training assistance dogs for veterans who face physical disabilities and/or post-traumatic stress disorder. Through this unique approach, patients not only learn advanced dog training techniques, but also cultivate important skills such as patience, mindfulness and positivity.

At the conclusion of their visit, Julia and Carly had the opportunity to meet Abel, the ambassador of NICoE’s Animal Assisted Therapy Program, and witness a demonstration of how the program operates.

Pictured from left to right: Carly Larkin, Abel, Julia Emmanuele

10/17/2024

The National Intrepid Center of Excellence is proud of its satisfied clients and continues to deliver exceptional service through its Animal Assisted Therapy program. This program empowers service members to train dogs for veterans, nurturing essential life skills and creating a community of support. Through the bond between humans and their four-legged companions, we are fostering a community of support and hope. Join us in creating a brighter future, one paw at a time! 🐾💖

10/09/2024

The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) is proud of its satisfied clients and continues to deliver exceptional service through its Animal Assisted Therapy program. This program empowers service members to train dogs for veterans, nurturing essential life skills and creating a community of support. Through the bond between humans and their four-legged companions, we are fostering a community of support and hope. Join us in creating a brighter future, one paw at a time!

10/08/2024

This is Abel, the ambassador for the NICoE’s Animal Assisted Therapy Program. Abel has been trained to help open and close doors, turn lights on and off, retrieve dropped items, as well as alert to signs of stress. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, all that he has learned was taught to him by the more than 560 NICoE patients that he’s worked with. For all that hard work, Abel was recently given an honorary commissioning and is currently a Navy Ensign. Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

10/04/2024

A service dog is a dog that has received specialized training to carry out tasks for an individual with a disability. Each of these service dog's tasks must be specifically tied to the owner's disability.

The Animal Assisted Therapy Program at The National Intrepid Center of Excellence is a mission-based trauma recovery program that is a clinically based, goal-oriented, hands-on intervention program. With the help of this program, Wounded Warriors can train service dogs that are specifically bred to help other warriors who are experiencing mobility or impairment concerns.

09/27/2024

The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) is seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to join our Clinical Operations Department in leadership roles. We have exciting opportunities for a Supervisory Clinical Nurse and a Supervisory Physician. If you or someone you know is ready to embrace a rewarding leadership position, we encourage you to apply! For more details and to submit your application, please visit USA Jobs. If you’re eager to make a significant impact and drive innovation in healthcare, we want to hear from you! 💼✨



Click this link to apply for the Supervisory Clinical Nurse position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/811475300
Click this link to apply for the Supervisory Physician position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/811511300

09/18/2024

Today, the Defense Intrepid Network for Traumatic Brain Injury and Brain Health (DIN) proudly announces the official opening of the Intrepid Spirit Center (ISC) at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. This 25,000-square-foot facility, funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) at a cost of $14 million, is designed to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress, and other brain health conditions in active-duty service members. The Fort Bliss ISC marks the 10th and final center built across the Military Health System, establishing a comprehensive network of care facilities under the DIN.
The Fort Bliss ISC offers an array of services, including behavioral health, neuropsychology, rehabilitation, and integrative therapies. With an interdisciplinary approach, health care teams work together to create personalized care plans addressing the physical, emotional and psychological needs of each patient. By treating the whole patient, rather than focusing on isolated symptoms, this holistic model of care enhances care accuracy and effectiveness, improving patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality.