WASHINGTON, DC—As part of the overall US relief effort for Haiti, the US military began a massive effort last month to provide assistance in the wake of a deadly earthquake that killed thousands of people and left a staggering number of others injured and in need of help. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and VA held a conference last month examining suicide and suicide prevention. “For all of our sophisticated knowledge, we still do not know all there is to know about preventing a needless death from occurring,” Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—In what is becoming an annual ritual, the House VA Committee invited dozens of veterans service organizations for a roundtable discussion on their legislative priorities. Topping the list was the growing backlog of disability claims, Full Article

A webinar last month provided medical responders with an understanding of the common types of injuries (crush injury and syndrome, wound care and management, tetanus) and public health challenges encountered in the immediate phase of the Haiti earthquake response. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—Mental healthcare providers in the military are not immune from developing compassion fatigue, experts said at the 2010 DoD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference held last month. “We are not immune from compassion fatigue by a long shot,” said Capt Joan Hunter, USPHS, RN, who is the director of psychological health for the National Guard Bureau. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—About 60 million people in the US have high blood pressure according to the CDC. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US. Often referred to as the “silent killer,” hypertension usually has no noticeable warning signs or symptoms until other serious problems arise. Full Article