Recovery Care Coordinator helps servicemembers Published March 24, 2010 By Christi Spargur 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Never leave a comrade behind. It is the Warrior Ethos and something retired Chief Master Sgt. David Lewis, a Recovery Care Coordinator, holds sacred. A contractor assigned to the 375th Medical Support Squadron, he is one of 96 RCCs in the Department of Defense who help seriously ill, injured, or wounded servicemembers and their families navigate through a complex system of medical care, benefits, and government and non-profit resources. Mr. Lewis also supports the families of the fallen. At a Wounded Warriors Family Summit Oct. 20, 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, "The conflict we are in is the longest America has waged with an all-volunteer force since the Revolutionary War. At the heart of that volunteer force is a contract between the United States of America and the men and women who serve in our military: a contract that is simultaneously legal, social, and indeed sacred. That when young Americans step forward of their own free will to serve, they do so with the expectation that they and their families will be properly taken care of should something happen on the battlefield." The following month in November 2008, the Department of Defense Office of Transition Policy and Care Coordination established the RCC Program. RCCs help guide servicemembers through their recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration back to military duty or to the civilian community. Mr. Lewis describes his position as a key resource for sick, injured, or wounded servicemembers. "When recovering servicemembers or family members come to me, I sit down with them and we come up with a plan. Whatever their goals are, we sit and break them down one by one. "I list out all the points of contacts to get those goals accomplished, and I track their progress," said Mr. Lewis. "For example, I'll find them a veteran's service organization to help file their VA (Veterans Affairs) claim. I'll make them an appointment at the Airman and Family Readiness Center for pre-separation or financial counseling, the Transition Assistance Program, or whatever they need. They don't have to do anything; I'll set everything up for them. Since starting in July 2009, Mr. Lewis's workload has steadily climbed as the military community becomes more aware of the RCC Program and of the service it provides. He now averages two to three new clients a week. "I can't do it alone. The wing leadership has fully embraced the program here at Scott. The legal office, tax center, A&FRC, billeting, and the medical treatment facility have all played key roles in allowing me to assist servicemembers and their families." A Program for Everyone The RCC Program covers all servicemembers regardless of branch of service, status, or rank. "My duty title is Air Force Recovery Care Coordinator, but I take care of everyone. I don't have a defined area," said Mr. Lewis. "If I'm the geographically closest RCC to the servicemember, I'll do whatever I can to help whether he's an active-duty Marine who's recovering at home in Indiana or she's a Army Guardsman from Iowa." RCCs are also available to assist the seriously sick, ill or injured. "I'm not here just for the wounded warrior," said Mr. Lewis. "I'm here to help the seriously sick, ill, injured, or their family members. You don't even have to fit into any of those categories. If you have a question, any question, I'm here to help." Staff Sergeant Javawn Morris discovered Mr. Lewis by accident. "I was being medically discharged for a chronic condition and had less than 90 days to outprocess. I called the hospital to get a referral to continue seeing my civilian, off-base doctor. They told me because I was still on active duty I couldn't get the referral. I tried to explain my situation but it didn't work." Minutes after hanging up, the hospital called Sergeant Morris back and suggested she talk to Mr. Lewis. Mr. Lewis helped Sergeant Morris get a nurse case worker to help manage her medical care. On Sergeant Morris' behalf, he also called the local VA hospitals and found a specialty clinic for her condition and a support group. Mr. Lewis also helped Sergeant Morris with her retirement and transition to civilian life giving her information about life and dental insurance and working with her to create a budget. You Are Not Alone There are a multitude of resources available for sick, injured, and wounded servicemembers and a variety of programs catered to the families of the fallen creating an avalanche of information. "There is so much out there to help you," said Mr. Lewis. "I don't want you to try and figure it out yourself. Let me do it for you. Come tell me what your needs are, and we'll work through it together. We'll figure out what works best for you." Maj. David Cox was medically retired before the RCC Program was established and knows personally what it is like to go through the experience without help. "I was with the Air National Guard out of Ft. Wayne, Ind., and deployed as a trauma nurse," said Major Cox. "I voluntarily deployed six times and was home for maybe nine months between 2003 and 2007. I was a part of the Critical Air Transport Team that cares for the most critically injured patients. I saw the worst wounds. "During the last deployment, a lot of people noticed differences in my personality saying I wasn't as enthusiastic as I used to be. But as a nurse and having done it for so long, I thought I was invincible. I didn't think it could get to me." Major Cox was hospitalized during this last deployment and, then, sent back to his home unit stateside. "My unit did everything they could to help me. It wasn't anyone's fault. They hadn't had a situation like mine before. "This is where the RCC program would have been fantastic because at the time I didn't know anything. I didn't know who to call and ended up searching for help on my own." Major Cox's experience is similar to those of other Guardsmen like Staff Sgt. Rich Barfield, a transportation management specialist with the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Fighter Wing, who returned from a deployment to Iraq in January, 2008. Staff Sgt. Barfield was his unit's first wounded warrior. Mr. Lewis said "When he returned to his unit in 2008 he wasn't categorized as a wounded warrior or anything. He was just there. When the Medical Evaluation Board process started, that's when I was brought in, and I started asking all kinds of questions like 'does he have a FLO (family liaison officer),' does he have this, does he have that,' Unfortunately, nothing was going on. He wasn't labeled as a veteran or a wounded warrior for his Social Security disability claim and that slowed the process. There were so many loose ends." Sergeant Barfield said "It wasn't my base's fault. It was all new to them. They had never dealt with an individual like me, in my situation. "Once the MEB process began and David (Mr. Lewis) got on board, things started happening. He made calls to my base and that's when they realized they should have been doing all these things." The lack of awareness about the RCC program isn't limited to those assigned to Air Force Guard units. Senior Master Sgt. Jaime Montes, the superintendent of plans and resources for the 375th Communications Group, also stumbled upon Mr. Lewis. "I was injured in Afghanistan and for two years after returning from the AOR (area of responsibility), I fumbled through my own care." Like Sergeant Morris, Mr. Lewis helped get him a nurse case manager. "My nurse case manager took my care seriously and things started to happen," said Sergeant Montes. Mr. Lewis also coordinated with a veteran's service organization to work Sergeant Montes' disability process. "I could never have come to this point in my care if it hadn't been for Mr. Lewis taking the initiative and being the running point on my individual issues. Despite ongoing care and the realization of having to be cared for into the future, I feel a heck of a lot better now." More than a Case For RCCs, individualized care and personal attention are a top priority. "You are not a case number. You are not a bother. You're an individual and you'll be looked at as an individual," said Mr. Lewis. "We have all kinds of resources. When we put a plan of action together, it isn't an Air Force plan or my plan. It's your plan. It's what you and your family need and want." Army Staff Sergeant Michael Carson with the Missouri Army National Guard appreciates the personal connection RCCs make. "Dealing with my personal problems and medical issues have been a long hard road. Since Mr. Lewis has been involved, you wouldn't believe the progress he's made. "I have been promised so many things by so many people that I felt like a number or a statistic, but, not with Mr. Lewis. With him, I feel like a human being. He genuinely cares for me and his actions show it. "He said I needed an alert device so I wouldn't miss appointments," said Sergeant Carson. "Mr. Lewis called me and told me to look in my mailbox and the watch was inside. I had been working on my will for a year because I didn't understand how to get it done. Mr. Lewis got me an appointment with the legal office and now I have one. I could go one and on. "I have been in the military for 26 years and this gentleman (Mr. Lewis) really cares. I can't see not having him for support and advice." Sergeant Morris' experiences with Mr. Lewis are the same. "He's always happy to see you. He's not going to turn you away and he calls just to see how're you're doing. He even called before he took leave for the holidays to make sure I wouldn't need anything during the holiday break." It's these personal connections with his clients that motivate Mr. Lewis to keep going. "When I hear someone say 'you're the first person that helped us' or 'you're the first person that cared', I know I made a difference. That's what makes my job rewarding." The RCC program will be two years old this November. Because it is such a new concept, there are really no experts at it. Not all, but most RCCs are retired chief master sergeants or first sergeants whose military background and experience help them relate to their clients. For more information, call Mr. Lewis at 256-4455.