Horn Memorial Hospital and Northwest Iowa Area Health Education Center Impacting the Wellness of Military Families: Continuing Education Opportunity
Ida Grove, IA – October, 2012 – Horn Memorial Hospital, in partnership with Northwest Iowa Area Health Education Center (AHEC), will host a “Behavioral and Mental Health of Veterans and Service Members” continuing education program featuring speakers from the local Veterans Administration, Iowa Army National Guard and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Keynote speaker, CPT Dan Grinstead, has recently been featured on The Daily Nightly, NBC News and The Huffington Post highlighting his personal story as a social worker to enlist in the Iowa Army National Guard at age 59, deploy to Afghanistan, and return home helping soldiers become citizens again.
“Behavioral and Mental Health of Veterans and Service Members” is part of an important national health workforce training initiative because more than 50% of returning veterans, service members, and their families receive health care from civilian providers. This program will be offered on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove, IA. It is designed to address military culture and increase knowledge/improve practice for civilian healthcare professionals regarding behavioral and mental health of veterans and service members.
Data reported in 2007 by the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health indicate that 38% of Soldiers and 31% of Marines report psychological symptoms after returning from deployment. Among members of the National Guard, the figure rises to 49%. Iowa has deployed over 2,800 men and women who are mostly National Guard members and part of our rural Iowa communities. Those with repeat deployments, a growing cohort, have significantly higher rates of symptoms.
Multiple deployments, combat injuries, and the challenges of re-integration can have far-reaching effects on not only the troops and their families, but also upon America’s communities as well. It is important that providers know and understand the impact of veteran and service members experiences during deployment and when re-integrating into routine life situations.
Physicians, healthcare professionals, nurses, social workers, counselors, EMS personnel, case workers, crisis intervention specialists, physical and occupational therapists, clergy, and other interested professionals are encouraged to attend.
No registration fee is required thanks to the generous sponsorship provided by the Ida County Veterans Affairs. Handout materials and continuing education (CEUs) for Nursing and EMTs will be provided.
Pre-registration is required for this event. Contacting Becky Wuebker, Social Worker, at Horn Memorial Hospital at (712) 364-3311 or rwuebker@hornmemorialhospital.org. Please provide name, occupation, contact information and license number, if applicable, when registering.
