Photo By Gino Mattorano | Maria Schuch, a nurse case manager with the Fort Carson Soldier Recovery Unit, talks...... read more read more
Soldier for Life isn’t just a title – it’s a promise. When Soldiers are wounded, ill or injured, Fort Carson’s Soldier Recovery Unit steps in to manage Soldiers’ complex care needs and help them return to duty or successfully transition to the next phase of their careers.
The Fort Carson Soldier Recovery Unit is one of 14 SRUs located at military installations across the United States.
According to Lt. Col. Leon Satchell, the Fort Carson SRU commander, SRUs manage the recovery of wounded, ill and injured Soldiers requiring complex care. The SRU also provides resources and advocacy for families and caregivers of Soldiers recovering in the program.
“When a Soldier enters the program, they work with a dedicated team of professionals at the SRU to assess their needs and establish goals for their recovery,” Satchell said. “I like to say that we literally care more for our Soldiers in Recovery than any other organization.”
When a Soldier is assigned to the SRU, they have the ability to focus solely on their healthcare.
“Our goal is to get them to that medical readiness decision point – return to duty, or if they cannot, to help them successfully transition to another career,” Satchell said. “Every commander is focused on the “Soldier for Life” mentality, but I think we take that to another level here in the SRU.”
Typically, Soldiers assigned to the SRU are recovering from musculo-skeletal injuries, traumatic brain injuries and behavioral health conditions, but the vast majority have complex care needs that a typical Army unit is not equipped to manage, according to Satchell.
“A lot of the Soldiers we see come here because they require nurse case management,” Satchell said. “They have a variety of medical issues and so many appointments that it makes it difficult for them to contribute to their unit’s mission. Our nurse case managers can help them manage those complex issues.”
Another unique aspect to the SRU is that they treat all Army Components – active duty, National Guard and Reserve.
“All three components contribute to the Army’s wartime mission, so it’s only fair that they all receive the same level of care at the SRU,” Satchell said. “We allow them to maintain unit patches because it helps them maintain that unit connection and sense of identity.”
Satchell says that just like active-duty Soldiers, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers are assigned to the SRU so they can focus on their health until they can return to their unit and their civilian careers.
“And if their injuries won’t allow them to return to duty, we help them successfully transition into another career field,” Satchell said.
In order to provide the best care for Soldiers in Recovery, the SRU has social workers, nurse case managers, physical therapists and occupational therapists who are directly assigned to the SRU and focused on providing care for Soldiers in Recovery.
The SRU also maintains a close relationship with Evans Army Community Hospital.
“We are able to provide enhanced access to care for our SRU Soldiers and ensure we are meeting the healthcare needs of our Soldiers in Recovery,” Satchell said. “Our Nurse Case Managers are at the center of that treatment plan. When Soldiers have complex care issues like cancer, severe behavioral health needs or complex injuries, our NCMs help them manage their appointments and ensure they stay on their treatment schedule. Soldiers assigned to the SRU have a better chance of returning to duty and continuing in their Army career than if they stayed in their unit and tried to manage their care on their own.”
Satchell says that’s why it’s so important for the SRU to work closely with commanders and other installation helping agencies.
“We meet regularly with brigade commanders to ensure they understand what we do,” Satchell said. “If commanders understand how we can help them, we can help to retain Soldiers who might otherwise leave the Army.”
The SRU also works closely with the Soldier and Family Assistance Center. The SFAC offers financial management classes and we provide space for them to work with Soldiers in Recovery.
“Maintaining that close relationship enables us to provide support that we wouldn’t able to provide on our own,” Satchell said. “That’s why it’s so important to cultivate these relationships with these other helping agencies on post to meet the needs of our Soldiers in Recovery. We even have a transition coordinator whose primary job is to help transitioning Soldiers find a job.”
The SRU’s Career Education and Readiness Program we have a variety of tools to help Soldiers in transition find new careers through training programs and internships to help them explore new career options.
“When a Soldier comes to the SRU, our goal is to get them back to their unit as soon as possible,” Satchell said. “And if their injuries prevent them from being able to that, we have a variety of resources to help them make a successful transition out of the military.”
Criteria for SRU Entry:
- Soldier has a profile with an expected duration of 6 months or more, OR
- Soldier has duty limitations that prevent the Soldier from contributing to their Unit’s mission, AND
- The complexity of the Soldier’s condition requires complex OR high-risk clinical case management
For more information about the Fort Carson SRU, visit https://evans.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Soldier-Recovery-Unit.
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2024 18:12 |
| Story ID: | 486135 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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