President Bush signs eye trauma measure

Washington, DC-President Bush signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, including the Military Eye Trauma measure, on Jan. 28. It is designed to improve the ability of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Veterans Health Administration to treat members of the military who have suffered serious eye injuries while on active duty.

The measure establishes a Center of Excellence within the DoD to improve the tracking, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for service members who have incurred eye injuries. It also creates a formal registry to house electronic records and to enable the DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs to share patient information. The measure passed by Congress does not provide funding for the center or registry, however.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Blinded Veterans Association, and other veterans’ service organizations supported the legislation.