AOHC Encore 2024-223 Update on Military Environmental Exposures from Deployments or Other Service

223 Update on Military Environmental Exposures from Deployments or Other Service

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video transcript, Dr. Peter Ohm discusses the importance of military environmental exposures and the interest in the topic based on the attendance at recent symposiums. He shares his background as the Director of Policy in Military Environmental Exposures at the VA and highlights the challenges faced by his office. Dr. Ohm talks about the PAC Act, which has revolutionized the approach to addressing military exposures, particularly focusing on the importance of the Ionizing Radiation Registry, Vietnam Veterans Registry, Gulf War Registry, and the Burn Pit Registry. He also mentions the Camp Lejeune Justice Act and the expansion of healthcare benefits for veterans with radiation exposure. Dr. Ohm briefly touches on concerns about PFAS contamination, particularly with AFFF, and the efforts to transition away from its use. Additionally, Dr. Ohm introduces the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record Program (ILR), which aims to track exposures and health outcomes for military personnel over time. He acknowledges the need for improvement in data integration and matching exposure records with medical records. Dr. Ohm and Dr. McDermott express the need for further collaboration and improvement in systems like ILR for comprehensive tracking and surveillance of military environmental exposures. They invite collaboration and feedback to enhance the effectiveness of these programs.

Keywords

Dr. Peter Ohm

military environmental exposures

PAC Act

Ionizing Radiation Registry

Vietnam Veterans Registry

Gulf War Registry

Burn Pit Registry

Camp Lejeune Justice Act

PFAS contamination

Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record Program (ILR)