National Intrepid Center of Excellence for Traumatic Brain Injury To Be Built in Bethesda, MD

National Intrepid Center of Excellence for Traumatic Brain Injury To Be Built in Bethesda, MD

Military Health System

01.31.08

Mr. Arnold Fisher, Honorary Chairman for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and vice chairman for Fisher House, today announced, during the 2008 Military Health System (MHS) conference, that the Department of Defense has agreed that the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund will build and equip the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for Traumatic Brain Injury in Bethesda, Md.

"On behalf of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, I am delighted to announce that the Department of Defense has accepted our proffer to construct and equip the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for Traumatic Brain Injury. The center will be built adjacent to the new Walter Reed National Medical Center on Navy's Bethesda campus.

I am also pleased to announce that the Department of Defense has assured our Fund, in writing, that a group of medical professionals will be established to provide world class research, training and educational support for this center, and that this center will receive appropriate funding from the Department of Defense so that our young men and women will receive the same standard of excellence for TBI that the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio has provided for amputees," said Mr. Fisher.

Fisher commended the contributions of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, under the leadership of Col. (P) Loree K. Sutton.

The Fisher House Foundation will also build three additional Fisher houses - "two for the new hospital, and one for this center, so that families can be with their loved ones during this stressful time," said Fisher.

According to Fisher, the center will be built and paid for by private contributions from the American people, and 100 percent of every contribution will be going to the construction and the equipment in this center. All administrative costs will be paid for by the Board of Directors of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Fisher concluded his announcement by challenging the leaders of the Military Health System. "I challenge you to come up with the medical research and get behind the opening of this thing in October 2009. I challenge you to be ready to take care of our kids coming home with this terrible affliction," Fisher said.