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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Marysville, OH — Chrisanne Gordon, M.D., an expert on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and medical director of Rehabilitation Services at Memorial Hospital, Marysville, OH, has partnered with the National Veterans Foundation, Los Angeles, to launch the www.WhatIsTBI.org website and hotline (800) 366-8823 to educate the public and military community about the catastrophic effects of TBI. Dr. Gordon’s recent “tour of duty” included a part-time position at the Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Administration Clinic in Columbus, where she performed second level TBI evaluations for the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with suspected traumatic brain injuries.
TBI is a brain injury from an external force which leads to temporary or permanent impairments in cognitive, behavioral and physical functions with outcomes ranging from complete recovery to permanent disability or death. Most of the returning veterans suffer from mild traumatic brain injury which can be recognized by symptoms such as headaches, photophobia, ringing in the ears, sleep disturbance and dizziness, along with memory and cognitive problems. Additional effects include loss of mapping skills and delayed reaction times.
“Without adequate awareness, treatment and support veterans are likely to encounter a variety of barriers toward reintegration,“ Dr. Gordon said. “Veterans suffering from TBI face unemployment, divorce, depression and suicide at rates higher than non-veterans. Additionally, nearly 70 – 90 percent of individuals with TBI ingest alcohol or drugs in an effort to self-medicate their symptoms, which often leads to run-ins with the law.”
It’s estimated that TBI affects 20-25 percent of the 1.5 million troops who have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan, or nearly 400,000 returning Veterans. TBI is not limited to combat injuries, as recreational activities lead to 3.8 million civilian cases each year.
“The www.WhatIsTBI.org website and hotline offer information, screening tools, vital resources, diagnoses, treatment options and a newsletter about TBI,” said Dr. Gordon. “We must listen to our returning heroes and decide what must be done to resurrect the lives of our warriors, our warriors’ families and the institutions and agencies that strive to care for them,” she added.
About Chrisanne Gordon, M.D.
Dr. Gordon graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1977 after completing her undergraduate studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has experience in internal medicine, emergency room medicine, occupational medicine and rehabilitative medicine and is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Since 1988, Dr. Gordon has served as Medical Director of Rehabilitation Services at Memorial Hospital. She has also served as Medical Director of Honda of America from 1988 through 1997 and currently serves as a consultant to Honda and surrounding companies in Union County, Ohio. She recently founded a national movement called “Operation Resurrection” and is completing a documentary by the same name with Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini about solutions for healthcare, education and employment for returning veterans with TBI.
About the National Veterans Foundation
The National Veterans Foundation is a Veterans Service Organization that has served America’s veterans for over 25 years. Their experienced and trained staff has helped over 350,000 veterans in crisis. NVF serves the crisis management, information and referral needs of all U.S. veterans and their families. Programs include the Lifeline for Vets™, the Street Team Outreach Program, Veteran Advocacy Program and Jobs for Vets. NVF’s President and Founder, Shad Meshad, is a Vietnam veteran and one of the country’s most sought-after experts on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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