Nutrition and dietary care for seriously ill and injured service members
September 29, 2008
Posted by Matt Dempsey matt_dempsey@inhofe.senate.gov
Senator Inhofe joined his colleagues on the Armed Services Committee in supporting an amendment that directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the service secretaries, to conduct a review of the adequacy of dietary and nutritional services to seriously ill and injured service members.
Along with his colleagues on the Armed Services Committee, Senator Inhofe believes the dietary care of seriously ill and injured service members is an important element of quality care. Appropriate dietary and nutritional care reduces the risk of illness, mitigates the physical effects of extended periods of recovery, and leads to improved health outcomes for ill and injured soldiers.
They are also concerned that although dietary care is carefully controlled for hospital inpatients, access to such services for those in an outpatient status, including service members in warrior recovery or transition units, is hampered by limited dietary personnel resources, and reliance on referrals by medical and non-medical personnel of service members for dietary and nutritional care.
The review will include:
1. An assessment of the requirements for military and civilian dieticians, based on the full range of service member needs, from common dietary challenges to the unique needs of patients recovering from burn or blast injuries, in both inpatient and outpatient settings;
2. Analysis of current staffing capabilities of the military departments for providing dietary and nutrition services;
3. Identification of any gaps in such staffing;
4. Analysis of training of medical and non-medical case managers to identify service members in need of treatment for dietary and nutritional problems;
5. An assessment of the adequacy of screening for dietary and nutritional needs for recovering service members; and
6. Analysis of referral procedures for service members in an outpatient status.
The Secretary will submit a report on the results of this review to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives by March 1, 2009.
The report will also include a plan for appropriate improvements in training and referral procedures for case managers, unit commanders, and health care personnel, and such other recommendations and actions as the Secretary deems appropriate for improving the availability of dietary and nutritional services for seriously ill and injured soldiers, in particular those in an outpatient status.
Finally, it is the expectation of the Armed Services Committee that the Secretary will ensure that any health care service required by an active-duty service member shall be provided where and when it is needed under the supplemental health and dental care programs, regardless of any policy concerning access or benefits in effect for the TRICARE program.
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