Thank you Mr. Chairman,

First I would like to thank Dr. Jim Schraa, a Neuropsychologist at Craig Hospital, and Anna Frese, with the Wounded Warrior Project, who submitted testimony for the record.

On July 17, 2007 I introduced H.R. 3051 the Heroes at Home Act.

The purpose of this bill is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury in current and former members of the Armed Forces.

The program will be located in VA healthcare centers across the nation.

This is especially important to rural districts like mine where making healthcare accessible is a constant challenge.

H.R. 3051 addresses the need for access to care by expanding both DOD and VA telehealth and telemental health programs.

Ultimately this bill will ease the burden on our veterans suffering from TBI and the families who care for them.

Our committee has heard testimony from many veterans, Veteran Serving Organizations and the VA on the mounting cases of TBI, PTSD and other invisible wounds of war.

Many agree that veterans are often worse off with these unseen injuries than those with visible physical injuries.

Unlike other injuries that can heal, brain injuries are often permanent and disabling.

In addition, TBI can sometimes take years to develop and diagnose.

Even when discovered the road to recovery is long and is borne by the families of our brave men and women in uniform.

We have also heard of the link between TBI and other mental conditions such as epilepsy.

A DOD study after Vietnam found that 15% of soldiers with a penetrating TBI developed epilepsy soon after their injury.

H.R. 3051 creates a program to train the family members of TBI patients to become their personal care attendants.

Participants going through the program would become certified and receive compensation from the VA so that they can focus their energy on caring for their loved ones.

By taking place at home with family, the healing process is made more comfortable for our veterans.

The cost to the VA for having someone cared for at home is less than having them at a medical facility and allows the VA to allocate the resources they have to serve more veterans.

We have soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan spending longer periods of time in harms way and away from their families.

With that in mind we need to ensure that there are programs in place to care for them when they return home.

A program that provides quality care for our veterans and a financial benefit for their families seems appropriate for the difficult economic times our country is facing.

Most importantly, this bill will help us all reach our goal of ensuring our veterans the best care possible.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you and the members of this subcommittee for the opportunity to introduce legislation that improves the lives of our veterans suffering with TBI.