Panel releases report following review of care and administrative processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center.

A February 2007, article published in the Washington Post, revealed deficiencies in outpatient services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. As a result, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates commissioned an independent panel to review rehabilitative care and administrative processes currently in use at those facilities.

Several oversights and problems were found, many of which had previously been identified by other agencies within both the executive and legislative branches of government. The review group identified two main areas in which shortcomings exist: continuum of care and leadership, policy and oversight.

The group provides recommendations to improve health care services for service members and their families. Some of those are:

* Resources should be provided to staff and train case managers.

* Every returning casualty should be assigned a single primary physical care manager and case manager as their basic unit of support.

* A center of excellence should be established for traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder treatment, research and training.

* The availability of health care services to the Reserve Component should continue to improve.

Download the full 129-report here. The file is 7.89MG.