The Silver Star Families of America is Asking for Input on Wounded Warrior Transition Units

March 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Please help us by taking this quick survey and e mailing it to the address below.

PART I

Name/location of WWTU where treated?

Reason for being at WWTU (i.e. - wounded, injured or ill)?  Combat related?  Provide brief description.

Was the Armed Forces member officially notified of the main reason and all subsidiary reasons?  If so, by who?  Was the notification verbal and/or documented?

If the Armed Forces member was not officially notified, do you have an opinion as to why the Armed Forces member is/was in the WWTU and are/were those opinions the same as the Armed Forces member’s providers and Commanders?

Date of entry into WWTU?

If not at WWTU presently, date that Armed Forces member left the WWTU?

Do you believe the Armed Forces member received/is receiving proper and adequate treatment?

Does Armed Forces member’s provider, NCM (Nurse Case Manager), and Commander believe they are receiving/did receive proper and adequate treatment, regardless if the Armed Forces member agrees/agreed or not?  

If dissatisfied with treatment, please give a brief description of Armed Forces member’s concerns –

Are/did the Armed Forces member’s FTRs (Focused Treatment Review - quarterly) going/go to their satisfaction (i.e. are/were all providers allowed time to talk, is/was the Armed Forces member allowed to express their concerns fully without interruption)?  If not, what is/was the main pitfall to a successful FTR?  Has/did the Armed Forces member request  and/or receive a “re-FTR”  if not allowed full understanding of their health representations with the providers as stated as should occur in WWTU initial counseling (possibly administered by NCM)?



If the Armed Forces member has taken their concerns to Command, please answer the questions in PART II.



PART II

Has command influence on medical staff determined a diagnosis that may have not been correct or in the best interest of the Armed Forces member?

Has command influence interfered in the correct treatment of an Armed Forces member?  If so, provide a brief description how.

Has the Command used alternate means of punishments to imply to providers and other staff that the Armed Forces member is unstable (i.e. ordered escorts during appointments, labeled "high risk" when Social Workers on/off post disagree, leaves and/or passes revoked, ordered under house arrest with or without accusation, etc.)?

In your opinion or officially, have the medical records of an Armed Forces member been shared with command in excess of the knowledge that command needs to determine deploy ability?

Do you believe HIPAA policies have been violated in the Armed Forces member case?  If so, was it reported (i.e. did the Armed Forces member make any additional statements to the Command and/or providers for further stringent guidance with their medical information before the believed HIPAA violation occurred)?

Have medical personnel been informed that regardless of command influence, the medical treatment of an Armed Forces member is paramount and outside the responsibility of the unit command?

Has the Armed Forces member’s provider or any providers to include the WWTU OIC been observed meeting with the Armed Forces member’s Command alone or at a "door closed" type of meeting?

Has command influence determined the retention or discharge status of an Armed Forces member in conflict with medical advice?   If so, provide a brief description.

Do you believe unethical command influence determined the discharge status of an Armed Forces member?

Do you believe a negatively biased command unethically used his/her power or position by influencing" medical personnel to get rid of Armed Forces members that command may consider undesirable?  Did you receive a "personality disorder" discharge?

Has the Inspector General (IG) been informed that the status and treatment of an Armed Forces member is paramount and that any undue command influence that interferes with such treatment may be a violation of the UCMJ?   Have any IG complaints been filed on behalf of the Armed Forces member?  Did the Armed Forces member receive a response or been told they might not get a response?

Has the IG been informed and does/did the Armed Forces member feel they are/were conducting themselves as that it is their duty under the UCMJ to provide protection of an individual Armed Forces member above and beyond the opinion of command?

Has the IG’s office been receptive to filed complaints?

Has/did the Armed Forces member contact PAD (Patient Administration Division), hospital customer relations, any other Commanders to include hospital and WTC, Surgeon Generals, OCR, Ombudsman, MEDCOM, specific levels of IG, Congressman, NCO levels, other civilian coalitions, etc. regarding their case or concerns?  If so, please list and give reason for contact.

Any other experiences to share about the Armed Forces member’s time spent in the WWTUs?

May we contact you for further discussion?  If so, please provide your first name and valid e-mail address or phone number.  

Please send your responses to: ssfoa2012@gmail.com or mail to:  The Silver Star Families of America, ATTN:  WWTU Survey, 525 Cave Hollow Road, Clever, MO  65631  

All responses will be kept private and confidential.  

The Silver Star Families of America has one mission:  To remember, honor and assist the wounded, ill, injured and dying of our Armed Forces from all wars. www.silverstarfamilies.org

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The mission of the Silver Star Families of America is to remember, honor and assist combat wounded, ill and dying active duty and veterans from ALL wars.