May 4, 2007 – SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The military and Department of Veterans Affairs has enough beds to treat veterans with traumatic brain injuries, but the leaders of a presidential commission suggested today that more use of private care might allow wounded soldiers to stay closer to home.
The Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors met in San Antonio today. President Bush appointed the commission following revelations in February of poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The group focused its first meeting outside Washington on traumatic brain injuries. The bipartisan commission is holding hearings on veterans care and plans to issue a set of recommendations this summer.
The frequency of injuries caused by roadside bombs and explosions in Iraq make traumatic brain injuries a significant cause for concern. So far, an estimated 12-thousand returning service members have suffered traumatic brain injuries.
