Resurrecting Lives
Foundation
6724 Perimeter Loop Road, PMB #317
Dublin, OH 43017
http://resurrectinglives.org
Testimony in support of Amendment HC0529
Eric Kazmierczak, Director of Operations
Resurrecting Lives Foundation
Good morning, Chairwoman Grossman, Ranking Member Reece, and
members of the committee. I am Eric Kazmierczak, the Director of Operations
for the Resurrecting Lives Foundation. I am here to introduce you to the
Foundation and its mission, and to ask for some funding to help us conduct two
important projects that will help our military veterans.
I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. In October of 1993, I joined the
Marine Corps and started my career as an Infantry Rifleman with my first tour of
duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. I progressed through the Marine Corps
ranks and retired as a Staff Sergeant (SSgt). During my time in the Marine Corps
I held numerous leadership positions at all levels of command.
During my Marine Corps career, I participated in operations in, Bosnia,
Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Riverine operations with UNITAS in
South America. I completed two combat tours as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant to
eastern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In August of
2010 after suffering from a stroke, I was medically retired from active duty
Marine Corps.
It was several years after I had retired from the Marine Corps that I was
made aware of the condition called Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and that many
of my symptoms fit the description for TBI. During my time in the Marines as an
infantryman I was subjected to many different types of explosive ordnance to
include small arms fire, ordnance ranging from fragmentation grenades,
improvised explosives devices up to 2000-pound Joint Attack Munitions (JDAM)
bombs that we deployed against the enemy.
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After separating from the Marine Corps, I began to volunteer my time
working with Major Dent and later on Captain Zierk – the Marine Corps District
Injured Coordinator (DISC), and learned even more about the effects of TBI on
those Veterans exposed to blast while in the field. My work brought me to
Resurrecting Lives Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit authorized by the IRS on
July 28, 2012. Our mission is narrow and deep - we assist in the recovery and
reintegration of our Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who sustained a Traumatic
Brain Injury, TBI, as a result of their service to our nation. We act as an
organizing force for collaboration with the military, the Veterans Administration,
and the civilian world to promote health care, employment, and education. In
Ohio alone, there are nearly 15,000 of these heroes, and in the nation, 450,000.
The scope of the TBI epidemic is far reaching, not only affecting the
Veteran, but also the family, the community, and the state. The medical
conditions associated with untreated Traumatic Brain Injuries are many and
include Substance Abuse, Unemployment, Homelessness, Incarceration, and
even Suicide. The costs to the community are great, and are measured in
millions of dollars and, even more importantly, in many lives lost in the struggle
to recover from TBI. All of our voluntary military members have sacrificed for
our futures. Are we not obligated to assist them with theirs?
Our solution is simple in theory: grant employment opportunities to our
military members PRIOR to military separation, and guarantee that our heroes
and their families will have a plan prior to separation. This initiative will require
the collaboration of the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration,
Veterans Service Organizations, and the civilian corporate world. We have that
plan in place, but we require funding for execution of this initiative.
Currently, we are embarking on an innovative plan in collaboration with
Cardinal Health, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, and Ft. Bragg Military
Installation in North Carolina. We will be traveling frequently to Fayetteville,
North Carolina and Ft. Bragg, to establish the employment plan for each soldier
who volunteers to become a participant in this all-important pilot program. We
have the directive of Lt. General Joseph Anderson, Commanding Officer of Ft.
Bragg, and the cooperation of Mr. Jon Giacomin, CEO of Cardinal Health
Pharmaceuticals, to begin this visionary program. But it will require funding.
The funding we request today will be utilized to establish ongoing
communication with our soldiers via iPad and Telehealth so that we may act
swiftly to prevent the complications of substance abuse, unemployment, and so
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forth. These complications of TBI are very costly for the community, so the
investment of an iPad and the continued communication to prevent these issues
is miniscule in comparison to the costs of treatment or incarceration. Our
soldiers will also need to have their medical history and treatment digitally
recorded on a CD for continuity of care. The Veterans Administration, per
Secretary Robert McDonald, retired CEO of P&G in Cincinnati, Ohio, has agreed
to grant these soldiers access to the VA immediately upon discharge so that they
will begin receiving treatment for their wounds of war simultaneously with
employment. The employers, therefore, will not be responsible for their war
wounds, but will be able to grant health care benefits for all non-service
connected issues as well as family members.
This is a very important step forward for Veteran reintegration, and is a
concept to PREVENT the complications, and save taxpayer dollars through
several means. First of all, the community will not be paying for rehab or even
incarceration, which is costly. Secondly, the Veteran will immediately begin a
new and productive civilian life where earning power will grow with
employment, and goals for a future will be realized, not just for the Veteran, but
also for the family. It is a WIN/WIN for the Veteran and the community, and a
few dollars spent on the front end will save thousands on the back end.
We are initiating this pilot program in April 2015, and we will be
following 100 soldiers for 1 year regarding any employment concerns. We know,
instinctively, that this will be successful. This type of employment program will
save each community and stop up to millions in future disability payments,
custodial care issues, and lost income. We are intending for this program to
become the gold standard for the nation, and to assist with the military
separation process in a very positive way.
We are very proud of this initiative to help our soldiers and pleased that
Cardinal Health is fully committed to making this move forward. We must,
however, seek funding for the technology, tools that are imperative to make this
successful.
Will you help us lead the nation in Veterans recovery and reintegration?
Resurrect a Hero – Strengthen OHIO.
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A second project for which the Resurrecting Lives Foundation seeks
funding is the Community TBI Education Program.
The Resurrecting Lives Foundation Community TBI Education Program
will provide basic education and awareness training for the legal and lay
communities who interact with and serve the more than 15,000 TBI-affected
veterans. The need for this project is great.
Many service members struggle while trying to readjust to life in the
civilian world after serving in combat. The challenges of those with TBI are
compounded. They suffer in greater numbers from substance abuse, depression,
unemployment, and homelessness. And many of these challenges lead Veterans
to interact with the criminal justice system.
While we do have some Veteran’s courts popping up in various areas in
Ohio, most criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges are ill prepared
to understand the needs of veterans with TBI. The lay community, including
veterans services organizations, is equally – if not more – unprepared to help this
population. TBI is a newer war injury; most long-established veteran services
organizations have little experience with it. Yet every community in Ohio has a
veteran population. And 15,000 of them have TBI.
The costs of doing nothing are steep. Conventional tests do not reveal
TBI; yet failure to diagnose and ultimately treat this injury will render the
accused likely to return again to the criminal justice system. In addition,
veterans with TBI who are facing criminal felony charges appear strongly
inclined to contemplate suicide; RLF has referred at least 17 to suicide prevention
hotlines in recent months. A TBI-affected veteran is four times more likely to
commit suicide than those without TBI. Without special interventions in
criminal court, especially at the felony level, these veterans are being shortchanged by the criminal justice system and their recidivism remains unchecked.
The RLF Community TBI Education Program (C-TEP) responds to this
unmet need in our justice system by educating the legal and lay communities.
Specifically, C-TEP will create an education and awareness program for
the legal community, including criminal defense attorneys, judges, and
prosecutors. The project will also educate the lay community, beginning with
veteran services organizations, about TBI, its affect on the veteran community,
and the resulting challenges our veterans face in the criminal justice system.
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Only by educating both communities can we hope to achieve earlier intervention
and better administration of justice for our veterans.
Chairwoman Grossman, Ranking Member Reece, and members of the
committee, I appreciate the opportunity to let you know about the important
work of the Resurrecting Lives Foundation and hope that you will accept this
amendment.
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