Dr. Harold J. Wain discusses treating one soldier who was flown to Walter Reed Hospital with half her scull resting on her abdomen and another who picked up his severed arm so it could be reattached. These are two of 3,500 combat medical emergencies airlifted to the hospital as a result of the war in Iraq. Wain heads the liaison psychiatry service and he outlined procedures at the American Psychiatric Association for automatically placing psychiatrists on the treatment team prior to requests for consults. This reduces barriers to stigma and promotes normalizing treatment for issues including grief, anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Often patients do not request help until they are near or recently discharged. The service also incorporates families.


