Res. No. 1005
Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass S.1065/H.R.3051, also known as The Heroes at Home Act.
By Council Members Monserrate, Gentile, Gerson, Mark-Viverito, Avella, Liu, Gennaro, Eugene, Sears, Weprin and White Jr.
Whereas, According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain; and
Whereas, TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue; and
Whereas, TBI can result in both short-term and long-term problems, such as cognitive dysfunction, post-traumatic epilepsy, headaches or other motor and sensory neurological complications, and some patients with TBI may never fully recover their pre-injury function; and
Whereas, According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), the leading causes of TBIs are bullets, fragments, blasts, falls, motor-vehicle traffic crashes, and assaults; and
Whereas, DVBIC information indicates that among active military personnel in war zones, blasts are the leading cause of TBIs; and
Whereas, Because of advancements in medicine and body armor, more injured troops are surviving the Iraq War than previous wars; and
Whereas, According to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), TBI has become the signature wound for the soldiers involved in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
Whereas, Additionally, according to the AAN, neurological services within the VA system are not, in general, receiving the resources required to properly diagnose and treat the medical conditions of returning combat veterans; and
Whereas, S. 1065/H.R. 3051, also known as The Heroes at Home Act, would help expand access to needed health care by increasing certain health and mental health services; and
Whereas, In particular, The Heroes at Home Act would help improve the detection, assessment and treatment of TBI, as well as expand support systems for members and former members of the Armed Services with TBI; and
Whereas, The Heroes at Home Act would also assist families struggling to take care of loved ones with TBI by offering them training and certification in assisting individuals with brain or psychological injuries; and
Whereas, Our brave men and women in uniform sacrifice much on behalf of the United States and its residents everyday, and it is our responsibility to provide for them in their time of need; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass S. 1065/H.R. 3051, also known as The Heroes at Home Act.
JP
LS 3556
8/8/07