As you know, Romanucci & Blandin, LLC has been very active and supportive of our troops in Iraq. We have also been very sensitive to the issues affecting our troops. One of them is the VA’s denial of treatment for non-contact traumatic brain injuries. Currently, the VA’s standard for treating TBIs applies only if there has been contact with the head. Clearly, this logic is flawed since TBI can be caused by blast injuries through the “wave” concussion. The Chicago Tribune recently reported as follows:

Illinois veterans who have brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder now have access to an array of screening and counseling services, state officials announced Tuesday.The Illinois Warrior Assistance Program, the first of its kind in the United States, was launched Tuesday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and several other state and health organizations.

It provides a 24-hour toll-free help line for veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder, free phone screening for traumatic brain injury for all Illinois veterans and mandatory brain-injury screening for members of the Illinois National Guard returning from overseas.

An Army report released Jan. 17 found that as much as 20 percent of soldiers sustain at least a mild traumatic brain injury while deployed.

The new program's confidential help line can be reached at 866-554-IWAP, and more information can be found at http://www.illinoiswarrior.com.