| NMCSD Restores Aesthetics To Injured Service Members 3/3/2009 – News Courtesy of: Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Jake Berenguer SAN DIEGO – Navy Medicine provides significant treatment to injured combatants not only through first response in theater, but also through a continuum of care starting with the transition back to the United States and throughout the recovery process. Project Comprehensive Aesthetic Recovery Effort (Project C.A.R.E.) is a multi-disciplinary patient care initiative to help restore function and appearance of traumatically injured service members. “Lack of proper function or the emotional repercussions of a patient with the scars of a severe injury needed to be addressed,” said Cmdr. (Dr.) Craig Salt, department head of plastic surgery at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD). Salt is spearheading Project C.A.R.E. project to improve aesthetic appearance of combat injuries to those who have given so much in the line of duty. “Patients often have a hard time coping with the stares of strangers or even looking at their own reflection. I decided to be proactive and seek them out to let them know what options were available to them. I wanted to fix what can be fixed and help them with their appearance post injury,” said Salt. Project C.A.R.E. consolidates resources throughout NMCSD to address a patient’s needs through multiple medical disciplines. Utilizing a team approach to medical and supportive services, each patient is individually evaluated and a comprehensive treatment plan is formulated. “I wanted to work in tandem with anyone who could be beneficial to the recovery of the patients. I am seeking out contributions of emotional support from chaplains, or the talents of dermatologists and neurosurgeons. This needs to be a collective effort to restore form, function and esteem,” said Salt. “He has helped me out so much, he is making a huge difference in people’s lives,” said Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony Guerrero, one of Salt’s patients. Guerrero was injured in an explosion Sept. 9, 2006 while serving in Iraq and received serious facial injuries. Salt replaced missing bone in Guerrero’s face with an artificial structure to fill an indention. Laser surgery removed the powder burns from the explosion to lessen the visibility of the scars. “After the blast, I didn’t look like myself. Since beginning the surgical reconstruction, I feel so much better about myself. I can definitely see a huge improvement and look more like I used to,” said Guerrero. “Project C.A.R.E. will do so much more than what was considered the end of a patient’s treatment. We have helped a small handful of patients so far and after pitching the idea to several other military hospitals, the potential for growth is immense. We want to help each service member identify their needs and work as a team to restore their form, function and self image,” said Salt. For more information about Project C.A.R.E. visit: Project C.A.R.E. ——————- MilitaryConnection.com thanks you for your patronage. This web site is a portal of all things military, and we are quickly becoming the “go to” web site for all things military. We are constantly adding resources, content and features to benefit our audience. Our web site and all of the resources are free to users, and there is something for everyone. Additionally, we feature nursing articles like this to keep you informed. If you belong to a group or organization, we will post your press releases, special events, newsletters, professional conferences and seminars, reunions, job fairs, and videos to help spread the word. One of the areas of our focus is connecting candidates from the military community with outstanding government and civilian employers. We know that candidates from the military community across the board have a work ethic second to none. They make highly valued employees. MilitaryConnection.com has a multitude of employment resources including a Directory of over 30,000 employers, Job Tips, Columns, our new and improved Job Board, Virtual Job Fair and much more. We understand the importance of education. Please check out our new Education section, featuring the most up to date information on the new GI Bill, Education Articles, Education Benefits, and the Scholarship Directory featuring thousands of scholarships. When the next tour is back home, it’s on MilitaryConnection.com. |