Fort Campbell, KY -The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund announced today that the construction of the third in a series of nine (NICoE) Satellite Centers has reached a new milestone with a watertight roof and 90% of plumbing and electric work complete.
When finished, the center, named Intrepid Spirit, will provide the most advanced diagnosis and treatment protocols for wounded, injured and ill military heroes while creating effective programs for rehabilitation and recovery. The centers are designed to focus on injuries of the brain, most notably Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), the signature wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in our wounded military troops.
“We are pleased and excited to hit this milestone in construction, which brings us one step closer to being able to deliver the state of the art treatment that our military men and women deserve,” said Dave Winters, President of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) has already completed the first two centers, built at Camp Lejune, NC and Fort Belvoir, VA. All of the centers, funded and built by the IFHF, are being located at military installations and bases near medical facilities around the country. These convenient locations allow service members to receive TBI and PTS medical services without having to separate them from their units or leave their families for extended periods of treatment. This proximity to family and friends is expected to enhance service members’ care and rehabilitation.
Each of the NICoE Satellite Centers is 25,000 sq. ft., and cost $11 million to construct and equip with the latest in brain technology and devices. The latest Intrepid Spirit is scheduled to be completed and gifted to the Department of Defense later this year.
“The National Intrepid Center of Excellence Satellite – Intrepid Spirit will allow our dedicated multidisciplinary team to provide interdisciplinary, holistic, Warrior and Family Centered Care to patients with complex needs while contributing to and supporting research and education by connecting with other centers and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md,” said COL George Appenzeller, Commander of Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.
The design and mission of the Satellite Centers are based on the original NICoE, opened in 2010 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Operated by the Department of Defense, NICoE is the most advanced facility of its kind in the country, and is the center of the Armed Forces’ efforts in researching, diagnosing and treating TBI, PTS and related injuries and illnesses sustained by military personnel. Hundreds of American service members have received some form of diagnosis or treatment from NICoE in the past three years.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden trauma or head injury disrupts the function of the brain. Common causes of TBI include damage caused by explosive devices, falls and vehicle or motorcycle accidents. Most reported TBI among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom service members and veterans have been traced back to Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, used extensively against Coalition Forces. Symptoms can appear immediately or in the weeks and months following the injury.
The architect for the project is SmithGroup, also responsible for designing the NICoE and the Center for the Intrepid, an advanced rehabilitation center for amputee and burn victims developed by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund in San Antonio, Texas.
About the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a national leader in supporting the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families, has provided over $150 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded military personnel and veterans. The Fund most recently opened the National Intrepid Center of Excellence to support the research, diagnosis, and treatment of military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). In 2013, the Fund launched a new $100 million campaign to build nine NICoE satellite centers at major military installations and bases around the country. These satellite centers will extend the care provided at NICoE to more service members and veterans suffering TBI, PTS and related afflictions.
