thedrifter
03-13-07, 05:52 AM
Naval hospital conducts reviews in wake of Walter Reed scandal
By: WILLIAM FINN BENNETT - Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO -- In the wake of recent reports about deplorable living conditions in an annex to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, local Navy officials met with reporters Monday to tout the quality of care for the severely wounded at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, also known as Balboa hospital.
The center's commanding officer, Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, said that the decision to hold an afternoon news conference and tour of the San Diego facility was made after receiving "a number of requests" from local reporters after reports about conditions at Walter Reed surfaced last month.
In the wake of reports that the Washington, D.C., facility was dilapidated, "we went out and took a hard look and said, 'is there anything else we need to do for our patients?'" Hunter said.
As a result of the review, officials decided as a first step to install television sets and Internet connections in each of the rooms in the 128-capacity enlisted men's quarters and to increase housekeeping services, Hunter said.
Currently, Internet connections and televisions are available in the common areas.
"We will be conducting more reviews, just to make sure there was nothing we missed," Hunter said.
She added that hospital officials are expecting to receive visits in the coming weeks from a number of the federal commissions that have been formed in recent days to review conditions at military and veterans' facilities throughout the nation.
In September the center officially opened its Comprehensive Combat Casualty Care Center to treat the severely wounded, providing a full range of treatment and therapy for amputees and troops who have suffered serious head trauma. In the last year alone, Hunter said, about 240 severely wounded service members have been treated at the Balboa unit.
Currently, 50 Marines, 33 sailors and one member of the Coast Guard are being treated at the center, and 59 service members are living there temporarily, officials said.
At the time the center was opened, officials said it was sorely needed because 25 percent of all American casualties in Iraq were men and women who were stationed or lived on the West Coast, while most other major treatment centers were located on the East Coast.
On Monday, several patients made available by the center's staff spoke of how grateful they were to be able to be close to their families.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathaniel Leoncio, 25, lost part of his right leg when a roadside bomb exploded beneath the vehicle in which he was riding on Oct. 4, 2005. The force of the explosion instantly killed the driver, Marine Pfc. Andrew Bedard. Three others sustained serious wounds in the explosion, Lencio said.
"The Humvee landed on me and took my leg," the soft-spoken Leoncio said.
His parents live in Temecula, he said.
"I transferred here as soon as I could so I could be close to home," he said.
Leoncio said that although he is an amputee now, he hopes to be able to stay in active duty in some capacity.
"I'd like to go back to Iraq, but unfortunately I don't know if that can happen," he said. "I can't climb through windows or pull Marines out of ditches anymore."
Marine Reserve Sgt. Daniel Harrington also expressed gratitude and satisfaction with his post-war treatment. Harrington said he was riding in Humvee on July 6 in Hit, Iraq, about 70 miles north of Ramadi when an anti-tank mine exploded underneath the vehicle.
It exploded right under his seat, Harrington said, "and ripped out a piece of my hip."
He grimaced and got up from his chair to alleviate the pain as he catalogued his injuries: nerve damage in his hip, and damage to his tail bone, bladder and spine. He also has suffered some hearing loss and a traumatic brain injury, he said.
Harrington, who at the time of his wounds was assigned to a reserve unit from Alameda, said he is thankful he's being treated at the center.
"It's improved everything," he said. "My wife is here (in San Diego) and I have close friends in San Diego, so I have a good support base."
Rear Adm. Hunter said that the hospital is adapting to the changing reality of the war. As roadside bombs continue to be major source of combat wounds, the number of service members who are being treated for traumatic brain injuries has increased, she said.
Military health officials have begun to realize that even mild cases of concussion can lead to traumatic brain injuries.
"We started doing a lot more screening when (roadside bombs) started being a problem and some patients stared manifesting symptoms later in their treatment, we said 'we have to assess even for minor concussions,'" Hunter said.
The number of amputees also has risen, she said, increasing the need for a center like the one in San Diego.
Military surgeries near the battlefield are saving more lives than ever, Hunter said, and that success has created the need for more wounded warrior care.
"In the past, many of (these patients) would have died of their wounds," Hunter said. Now, "more and more are surviving."
-- Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426, or wbennett@nctimes.com.
Ellie
By: WILLIAM FINN BENNETT - Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO -- In the wake of recent reports about deplorable living conditions in an annex to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, local Navy officials met with reporters Monday to tout the quality of care for the severely wounded at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, also known as Balboa hospital.
The center's commanding officer, Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, said that the decision to hold an afternoon news conference and tour of the San Diego facility was made after receiving "a number of requests" from local reporters after reports about conditions at Walter Reed surfaced last month.
In the wake of reports that the Washington, D.C., facility was dilapidated, "we went out and took a hard look and said, 'is there anything else we need to do for our patients?'" Hunter said.
As a result of the review, officials decided as a first step to install television sets and Internet connections in each of the rooms in the 128-capacity enlisted men's quarters and to increase housekeeping services, Hunter said.
Currently, Internet connections and televisions are available in the common areas.
"We will be conducting more reviews, just to make sure there was nothing we missed," Hunter said.
She added that hospital officials are expecting to receive visits in the coming weeks from a number of the federal commissions that have been formed in recent days to review conditions at military and veterans' facilities throughout the nation.
In September the center officially opened its Comprehensive Combat Casualty Care Center to treat the severely wounded, providing a full range of treatment and therapy for amputees and troops who have suffered serious head trauma. In the last year alone, Hunter said, about 240 severely wounded service members have been treated at the Balboa unit.
Currently, 50 Marines, 33 sailors and one member of the Coast Guard are being treated at the center, and 59 service members are living there temporarily, officials said.
At the time the center was opened, officials said it was sorely needed because 25 percent of all American casualties in Iraq were men and women who were stationed or lived on the West Coast, while most other major treatment centers were located on the East Coast.
On Monday, several patients made available by the center's staff spoke of how grateful they were to be able to be close to their families.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathaniel Leoncio, 25, lost part of his right leg when a roadside bomb exploded beneath the vehicle in which he was riding on Oct. 4, 2005. The force of the explosion instantly killed the driver, Marine Pfc. Andrew Bedard. Three others sustained serious wounds in the explosion, Lencio said.
"The Humvee landed on me and took my leg," the soft-spoken Leoncio said.
His parents live in Temecula, he said.
"I transferred here as soon as I could so I could be close to home," he said.
Leoncio said that although he is an amputee now, he hopes to be able to stay in active duty in some capacity.
"I'd like to go back to Iraq, but unfortunately I don't know if that can happen," he said. "I can't climb through windows or pull Marines out of ditches anymore."
Marine Reserve Sgt. Daniel Harrington also expressed gratitude and satisfaction with his post-war treatment. Harrington said he was riding in Humvee on July 6 in Hit, Iraq, about 70 miles north of Ramadi when an anti-tank mine exploded underneath the vehicle.
It exploded right under his seat, Harrington said, "and ripped out a piece of my hip."
He grimaced and got up from his chair to alleviate the pain as he catalogued his injuries: nerve damage in his hip, and damage to his tail bone, bladder and spine. He also has suffered some hearing loss and a traumatic brain injury, he said.
Harrington, who at the time of his wounds was assigned to a reserve unit from Alameda, said he is thankful he's being treated at the center.
"It's improved everything," he said. "My wife is here (in San Diego) and I have close friends in San Diego, so I have a good support base."
Rear Adm. Hunter said that the hospital is adapting to the changing reality of the war. As roadside bombs continue to be major source of combat wounds, the number of service members who are being treated for traumatic brain injuries has increased, she said.
Military health officials have begun to realize that even mild cases of concussion can lead to traumatic brain injuries.
"We started doing a lot more screening when (roadside bombs) started being a problem and some patients stared manifesting symptoms later in their treatment, we said 'we have to assess even for minor concussions,'" Hunter said.
The number of amputees also has risen, she said, increasing the need for a center like the one in San Diego.
Military surgeries near the battlefield are saving more lives than ever, Hunter said, and that success has created the need for more wounded warrior care.
"In the past, many of (these patients) would have died of their wounds," Hunter said. Now, "more and more are surviving."
-- Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426, or wbennett@nctimes.com.
Ellie