Changes in the Army's health care delivery system have become visible, even to the untrained eye. What's more, the Warriors in Transition (WT) and Families under the care of that system have begun to feel the results of the changes.

Soldiers and their families are assigned a treatment team. This physician, nurse case managers, and military squad leader triad works together to help each Soldier and Family in the healing process. This personalized attention and treatment plan leads to better care and increased morale.

The Army has adopted many procedures from private sector health care and from lessons learned in military treatment facilities, to open communication channels between WTs and medical decision-makers:

• Encourage WTs and Families to express exactly what their needs are.
• Treat each person according to those individual needs.
• Ensure Triad members communicate with one another on the treatment.
• An ombudsman listens to WTs, Families, and the Triad, when things don't work the way they ought to, then recommends improvements in the process.

The Army plans to refine the processes now in place. The Army will add specialized caregivers as they become available in the system and will continue to add services as resources permit. This will give WTs greater access, within the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), to more services and give Family members more opportunities to get involved directly in the healing process.

A Soldier's morale is one of the most powerful motivating factors in the arsenal. Any setback, no matter how slight, often can get in the way of the Soldier's performance, no matter what the duty. When the Army shows its investment in Warriors in Transition, they invest more in their own recovery, and they achieve success more quickly, more completely, and more permanently.

For more information visit: http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/amap/amap.html.