Since embarking on our current mission in 2010, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) has raised $100 million in donations supporting the construction of our Intrepid Spirit Centers. This critically important mission to heal our heroes is completely funded by donations from the public. Every day, these centers are saving lives.
“I can’t imagine where I would be if I hadn’t gotten this care. Treatment at an Intrepid Spirit Center saved my life.”
– SGM Bob Haemmerle, USA (Ret.) treated at the Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Belvoir
When IFHF was first conceived in 2000, we made it our mission to support the service members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. As times have changed, we’ve adapted our mission to address the care most critically needed by our service members. Today, that focus is on the invisible wounds of war: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress (PTS).
In 2010, we completed our first center specially designed to address these afflictions. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) located at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. NICoE is a first-of-its-kind state-of-the-art facility with cutting-edge technology specially equipped to diagnose and treat the invisible wounds of war. This $60 million, 72,000-square foot facility addresses these injuries from all angles, bringing together research, diagnosis, and treatment. Physicians and therapists work shoulder-to-shoulder to craft the ideal treatment plan for each patient’s unique combination of symptoms.
After NICoE’s completion, it was clear that there was still a great need for centers like it. This led us to embark on our current mission: a network of 10 Intrepid Spirit Centers spanning the country. These centers act as satellite centers to NICoE, implementing the same interdisciplinary, integrative model of care, but located on military bases around the country allowing a much wider patient base to be treated closer to home. Eight of these Intrepid Spirit Centers are complete and operational. The ninth center, located at Fort Carson, CO, is in the final stages of construction.
We knew this new mission was ambitious but the results have been tremendous. As of 2020, NICoE and the satellite Intrepid Spirit Centers were responsible for treating 47% of all TBI cases in the Military Health System, meaning that our facilities have nearly doubled access to invisible wound care for military service members. That number is only expected to grow in 2021 and 2022 as new centers open their doors and further expand access to treatment.
This is a momentous milestone, but the work isn’t complete yet. Our ninth center is nearing completion, and we hope to break ground on the tenth and final Intrepid Spirit Center, located at Fort Bliss, TX, later this year. But we can’t do it without help. Remember, this mission is completely funded by donations from people like you. Become a part of this life-saving mission today with a donation.
Posted on March 1 2022 in Blog