1.This Act may be cited as
the Southern New Mexico and El Paso,
Texas, Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of
2011
.
2.Report on
establishment of polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site of
Department of Veterans Affairs in southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas,
region
(a)Congress
makes the following findings:
(1)The military
population of the southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region has grown
greatly since the United States has been involved in military operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan and members of the Armed Forces returning from such
operations to such region will require care at polytrauma centers as a result
of their involvement with such operations.
(2)The population at
Fort Bliss in Texas and New Mexico is expected to grow from 9,300 members of
the Armed Forces in 2005 to an estimated 33,400 members of the Armed Forces by
2012 because of the ongoing expansion of Fort Bliss.
(3)Traumatic brain
injury has become known as one of the signature wounds of service in the Armed
Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan because of its high occurrence among veterans of
such service. Many members of the Armed Forces returning to the El Paso, Texas,
and southern New Mexico region from overseas service in the Armed Forces are
expected to suffer from traumatic brain injury or other forms of injury
requiring treatment at a polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma network
site.
(4)A recent RAND
Corporation study estimates that as many as 20 percent of the veterans who
served in the Armed Forces 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.
(5)The Department of
Veterans Affairs recommends that all veterans experiencing a polytraumatic
injury be referred to a polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma network
site of the Department.
(6)The polytrauma
system of care of the Department includes 4 polytrauma rehabilitation centers
and 21 polytrauma network sites, none of which are located within 300 miles
driving distance of Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, or Holloman Air
Force Base.
(7)The large
military population in the southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region
necessitates a new polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site
of the Department to deal with the significant hardships veterans residing in
such region require.
(b)
(1)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 of the Department of Veterans
Affairs in the southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region that is within a
reasonable driving distance of Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, and
Holloman Air Force Base.
(2)The
report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A)An assessment of
the adequacy of existing Department facilities in the southern New Mexico and
El Paso, Texas, region to address matters that are otherwise addressed by
polytrauma rehabilitation centers and polytrauma network sites of the
Department.
(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 of
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.
(D)The relation of
high cost of living to the recovery of veterans and the impact on their
families in comparison to recovery in an area where there is a lower cost of
living.
(3)In
preparing the report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider
and evaluate various locations for the potential location of a new polytrauma
rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site. One location receiving such
consideration and evaluation shall be the Fort Bayard Medical Center in Grant
County, New Mexico.
(4)In
preparing the report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult
with appropriate State and local government agencies in the southern New Mexico
and El Paso, Texas, region.