FAQ's

I am wondering, is it possible to visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, even if I am not a relative of a patient at LRMC?

Visiting your own family, friends, and coworkers when they are sick and injured is a great thing to do.  Patients must give the hospital their permission to release their names and locations, but in general it is good for the hospitalized patient, as well as the visitor.

If you are not a family member, personal friend, or coworker, Federal Law and regulations governing patient privacy have made "visiting soldiers" very difficult.  A member of the nursing staff must canvass each ward, asking if the patients mind having visitors they don't know, and getting their permission in writing.  As the patient turnover is very high at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, this would rapidly become a full time job.

Large groups can create problems at times in providing care at critical moments. It is not possible to accommodate the many well intentioned requests by individuals or groups to personally tour wards and "visit soldiers" unless requested through USAREUR, USAFE or EUCOM Protocol offices.  In general, these VIP visits are composed of national or international officials, elected or appointed.  Examples are members of Congress, General Officers, Ministers of Defense, etc.

At Landstuhl, both patients and staff appreciate the spirit in which requests to "visits soldiers" are made.  

The hospital is required by law, like every hospital in the States, to protect a patient’s privacy and do everything they can to make sure that individuals have the opportunity to begin healing from physical and sometimes emotional injuries.

Sending packages to "A Recovering American Soldier" or "Any Wounded Soldier

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center will not receive letters that are not addressed to a particular soldier by name. 

In a statement, the facility said "Walter Reed cannot accept these packages in support of the decision by then Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Transportation Policy in 2001. This decision was made to ensure the safety and well being of patients and staff at medical centers throughout the Department of Defense."

The decision applies to packages, letters, Christmas cards, or any other mail not addressed to a soldier by name.

Additionally the U.S. Postal Service has stopped delivering any mail that is addressed to "A Recovering American Soldier" or "Any Wounded Soldier," which are the most common recommendations in the eRumors that circulate about sending messages to soldiers at Walter Reed.
 

LHCP non-discrimination policy

STATEMENT:  Landstuhl Hospital Care Project practices with non-discrimination in regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, or gender. This non-discrimination is applicable to all persons dealt with or served by the organization, and to membership on its governing board.  This non-discrimination policy is accepted by the board of directors of Landstuhl Hospital Care Project.

Why do our wounded warriors need phone cards and do they have access to phones to call loved ones? How do I donated phone cards?

I appreciate your interest in donating telephone cards to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's Wounded
Warriors.  I also appreciate your concern about the sensitivity of the Army providing phone access to both in and out patients.  I thought it best to take a moment to explain the need to you.
 
LRMC in-patients are given a control number for one call a day with no limit on the duration of the call.  However, LRMC in-patient's also have  friends and extended family members that are part of their primary support network that they want to update.  They also have friends outside of their downrange unit who they can't call if limited to only one call per day.
 
This is why telephone cards are LRMC's fastest turn over item that LRMC issues out to the wounded warriors.  The USO has graciously provided LRMC with up to 600 cards per month, but even with that LRMC has had some shortages but so far they have not run out of cards.  LRMC depends on donations without solicitation.
 
Their needs go out to the community in three ways. First perspective donors call them and ask what the needs are and they send them their "donor letter" highlighting their standing needs.  Second donors pass this information by word of mouth to other donors or groups.  Finally there are several web sites by organizations that publish LRMC needs such as the Landstuhl Hospital Care Project.  LRMC can and do make spot purchases of needed items from AAFES to include phone cards from funds donated to the Installation Management Command-Europe's Chapel Tithe and Offering Fund Wounded Warrior sub account.

Unfortunately AAFES has been transitioning from per unit cards back to  the older more desired per minute telephone cards so LRMC has not been able to buy enough cards from them to cover some of the shortfalls.
 
Bottom line is that since the cards don't have a shelf life and the  numbers LRMC use can vary each month by as much as 200-300 patients above their normal average of 650 patients a month they need a constant flow of donated cards.
 
The kind of phone cards LRMC is looking for are not international cards but the domestic 120 minute or greater cards.
 
Again thank you for your generous and compassionate concern for our nation's Wounded Warriors.
 

How many packages do you ship each month?

We send packages based on our sponsorship donations for each month and on requests from hospitals. We do not ship boxes to individual wounded. We would not want to give a pair of socks to someone who had lost their legs or pack a box with a CD player for someone that had lost their hearing. When I visited a VA hospital, we gave out toothpaste and toothbrushes. We ran across a man who lost part of his jaw and had no use for either of the items. So, we allow the Chaplains at the hospital to give out the items that each wounded need. If the wounded are able to walk or get about in wheel chairs, they are able to come to the WWMC (Wounded Warriors Ministry Center, formerly the Chaplains’ Clothing Closet) to pick out the items that they wish to have.

Our donations/sponsorships in the past have allowed us to ship very large shipments  in one month.  LRMC sometimes receives items that they do not require or that cannot be distributed under their guidelines. So Landstuhl Hospital Care Project only ships what LRMC or the field hospitals require on a month-to-month basis. Needs are verified before we ship or place any orders. Their needs can change very quickly due to donations arriving from other groups.

One month, LRMC needed sweat suits. They received over 2,000 from one supplier so they no longer required them for a while. The hospital has so many personal hygiene items that they are sending them into the field when they can find a group that needs them. One battalion in the field required personal hygiene items and within a month they were announcing that they did not want any more and could no longer give it  away because the American public had sent so much and they had no where to store it.

So in short, to answer your question, in our efforts to remain responsive to the needs of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the field hospitals we support, each month the size of our shipments are different due to requested needs and incoming donations/sponsorship.

Why do you ask for dark color sheets?

Dark colors will help hide medication stains and drainage from wounds.

Why do you ask for t-shirts free of logos and only particular colors?

Black and brown t-shirts can be worn under uniforms, logos prevent the wounded from being able to layer under uniform and be in regulation.  Many do not like to be walking billboards and with having logo's across the t-shirt it says "We Are American".  Our troops are on foreign soil and we wish to keep them safe and have them blend into the environment.  Dress attire for Germany is more conservative and American logos put a target on our military members chest.

Why do you ask for items I feel should be provided by the government such as sweat pants, shoes, underwear, towels, etc?

I can explain why we send sweats, tennis shoes, underwear, sundries, comfort supplies, etc.  

These items are not in the Army classes of supply system.  These items have never been in the Army classes of supply system.  It has never been the policy of the military  to provided civilian clothing to military troops.  Towels are provided for in-patients by the hospital.  Out-patients purchase their personal towels or we can donate them so they do not have this expense. 

The Wound Warrior Ministry Center issues the donated civilian clothing because wounded warrior's military clothing most of the time does not arrive at LRMC with them.  Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Brook Army Medical Center do not have the same sort of program LRMC has because they are not the initial port of entry to the medical system that LRMC functions as.   

As you might not know most of the wounded patients arriving at LRMC are wrapped in hospital gowns or blankets.  Sweats provide them with something comfortable to wear that is not as revealing as a hospital gown (which is issued by the US government and the same standard you would expect at any civilian hospital).

Although the wounded troops do receive a $250 clothing voucher they can spend at the Army/Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) very seldom  are they able to use the vouchers because of the physical distance to a AAFES facility of any size (Ramstein AB is 5 miles away, Vogelweh AB is 10 miles away and Kleber is 20 miles away) until they reach the USA.   The USO and the Red Cross do not meet this need and so the WWMC run by the Pastoral Services Division does so with donations they receive by non profits such as Landstuhl Hospital Care Project. 

What is a litter?

A litter is a basket or frame utilized for the transport of injured persons; a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person.  The poles can be aluminum or wood. The new aluminum litters are strong but light weight (about 25 pounds). Many can have legs of different heights. The fabric is now usually flame retardant, non-slip, chemical and mildew resistant and polypropylene mesh.  The mesh cover allows blood, and body fluids, water and hazardous chemicals to flow away from patients during the decon process.  Some litters may only have 2 handles on each end and others may have an additional 2 handles in the middle of the litter.  Some litters can roll up into a backpack. Its polymer construction allows it to be dragged across tarmac, snow or grass by a single person, and the patient can be securely strapped in the same litter for helicopter extraction.  Litters are not only used in the military environment but mountain rescue, ambulance teams, in Scouting, and in the hospital environment. 

What is Down Range?

"Down Range" is the area between the radar and the ground projection of the target (for surface based radar - vice versa if the radar is airborne and the target is on ground.  “Down range” is what military personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq call their area of operations.  In other words, “down range” could be anywhere, anytime, under any conditions. 

What is a FOB?

An FOB or Forward Operating Base is any military unit used to support tactical operations without establishing full support facilities. The base may be used for an extended time period.  Support by a main operating base will be required to provide backup support for a forward operating base.

What is a CASF?

Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility provides extended care and prepares patients for transportation to a hospital in Germany.  CASF in Germany prepares patients for transportation to the US.  CASF is the point of disembarkation for all personnel needing air evacuation from Iraq. The CASF's mission operates 24/7 to ensure patients are prepared clinically and administratively for air travel.

What does CCATT do? 

The Critical Care Air Transport Team is a specialized medical asset that can create and operate a portable ICU on board a aircraft during flight.  The CCAT team consists of a physician specializing in an area such as critical care, pulmonology, anesthesiology, surgery, etc., along with a nurse and technicians.  The team can turn any airframe into a flying ICU within minutes.  The team can care for the critically ill or injured patients with multi-system trauma, shock, burns, respiratory failure, organ failure, and other life threatening complications.

What is EMEDS?

Usually consist of a medical staff of 25 but can consist of  as many as 85 personnel.  They are a highly mobile healthcare system, providing lab, pharmacy, radiology, blood bank, specialist care, primary care, surgery and critical care.  Specialists can be added to the basic EMEDS capabilities. These include roughly a dozen specialties.  This transportable hospital in contained on about 20 pallets but the same level of care can be provided on a short term from back packs that this team carries.

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