38 U.S.C. § 7327 — Centers for research, education, and clinical activities on complex multi-trauma associated with combat injuries

(a) Purpose. This section aims to improve health-care services and related rehabilitation and education services for eligible veterans suffering from complex multi-trauma associated with combat injuries. It does this through: (1) developing improved models and systems for the Department^* to provide health care, rehabilitation, and education services to veterans; (2) conducting research that supports those services in line with the most current evidence on multi-trauma injuries; and (3) educating and training Department health-care personnel about providing those services.

(b) Designation of Centers. (1) The Secretary^* must designate an appropriate number of cooperative centers for clinical care, consultation, research, and education activities concerning combat injuries. (2) Each center must function as a center for: (A) research on the long-term effects of combat injuries, to support services for those injuries in line with the most current evidence on complex multi-trauma; (B) developing rehabilitation methods for treating people with complex multi-trauma; and (C) continuously and consistently coordinating care from referral through rehabilitation and ongoing follow-up after the person returns home and to the community. (3) The Secretary must designate one center as the lead center. The lead center must: (A) develop and periodically review research priorities and put protocols in place so projects contribute to the centers' activities; (B) oversee coordination of the centers' professional and technical activities to ensure the quality and validity of methods and statistical services for research project leaders; (C) develop and ensure deployment of an efficient and cost-effective data-management system for the centers; (D) develop and distribute educational materials and products to help Department medical-care providers who are not specialists in complex multi-trauma evaluate and care for people with combat injuries; (E) develop educational materials for people suffering from combat injuries and their families; and (F) serve as a resource for the centers' clinical and research infrastructure by sharing clinical outcomes and research findings to improve clinical practice. (4) The Secretary must designate centers on the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health. (5) The Secretary may designate a center only if it meets subsection (c).

(c) Requirements for Centers. To be designated, a facility must: (1) be a regional lead center for traumatic brain injury care; (2) be at a tertiary-care medical center with primary and subspecialty medical services related to complex multi-trauma available on site; (3) have, or be able to develop, the ability to manage impairments associated with combat injuries; (4) be affiliated with a medical school; (5) have, or have experience with, taking part in clinical research trials; (6) provide amputation care and rehabilitation; (7) have pain-management programs; (8) provide comprehensive brain-injury rehabilitation; and (9) provide comprehensive general rehabilitation.

(d) Additional Resources. The Secretary must give each designated center the resources the Secretary decides it needs to adequately manage people with complex multi-trauma. This includes: (1) upgrading blind-rehabilitation services by employing or obtaining blind-rehabilitation specialists; (2) employing or obtaining occupational therapists trained in blind rehabilitation; (3) employing or obtaining additional mental-health-service providers; and (4) employing or obtaining additional rehabilitation nursing staff to meet care needs.

(e) Cooperation With Department of Defense. (1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may help the Secretary of Defense care for Armed Forces^* members with complex multi-trauma at military treatment facilities by: (A) making Department of Veterans Affairs certified rehabilitation registered nurses available, in the manner the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate, to assess and coordinate those members' care; and (B) making Department of Veterans Affairs blind-rehabilitation specialists available, in that manner, to consult with the facilities' medical staff about the special needs of members whose combat injury caused visual impairment. (2) This help must be provided through health-care-resource-sharing agreements under section 8111 of this title.

(f) Award of Funding. Centers designated under this section may compete for funding appropriated to the Department for medical and prosthetics research.

(g) Dissemination of Information. (1) The Under Secretary for Health must ensure that information produced by the centers that may help other Veterans Health Administration activities is distributed throughout the Administration. (2) The information must be distributed through publications, continuing medical and related education programs provided through regional medical education centers under subchapter VI of chapter 74 of this title, and other means.

(h) National Oversight. The Under Secretary for Health must designate an appropriate officer to oversee operation of the centers and provide for their periodic evaluation.

(i) Authorization of Appropriations. (1) The following amounts are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for these centers: (A) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and (B) $8,000,000 for each fiscal year 2006 through 2008. (2) In addition to those amounts for a fiscal year, the Under Secretary for Health may allocate to each center, from other funds authorized for that fiscal year generally for the Department and for medical and prosthetics research, amounts the Under Secretary considers appropriate to carry out this section.