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medical students in surgical gowns
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medical students in surgical gowns
John A. Burns School of Medicine students

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine is taking part in a White House Joining Forces initiative to improve healthcare for the country’s active duty military, veterans and their families.

JABSOM, the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine seek to create a new generation of doctors, medical schools and research facilities that will ensure our military personnel receive care worthy of their service.

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Burgess, professor of surgery and director of the Telehealth Research Institute, will coordinate JABSOM’s response.

The partnership will work to ensure that physicians are aware of the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for the nation’s war fighters. Specific emphasis will include new research and clinical trials involving Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, to better understand and treat these conditions. The Defense Department estimates nearly 213,000 military personnel have suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2000.

“We are honored to participate in the White House Joining Forces initiative to address the health care needs of military service members and veterans and their families,” said JABSOM Dean Jerris Hedges. “We are working to develop additional curriculum for our medical students and researchers to better serve those who have served our country for so long.”

Joining Forces Announcement

First Lady Michelle Obama said, “I’m inspired to see our nation’s medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families. By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they’re ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned.”

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