By Shauna Springer, Dr. Jim Lynch, and Rep. Scott Perry To read the full articles, as published in The Hill, please click here. Of the many adaptations American leaders and healers have been forced to embrace during the COVID-19 pandemic, left behind as an unintended casualty has been the critical work to advance mental healthcare for more than two million Veterans fighting daily against Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Injury (PTSD/I). Left untreated, PTSD/I can be debilitating, leading to a decline in quality of life and causing significant medical, mental health, interpersonal, and social impairment. More threatening though, it has a strong link to suicide, with the lack of effective treatment now seen as a major contributing factor. Before National PTSD Awareness Month in June ends, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics reveal that roughly 600 Veterans will die by suicide. The cost of status quo for our Veterans, their loved ones and our nation is unacceptable and unnecessary. Just as our Troops realize that we're stronger and more successful when we sync our efforts and function as a team, medicine needs to transition to the same mindset; it needs to collaborate as members of a mission-driven care team to provide effective healing for those with trauma. A great irony in medicine is that as systems evolve to allow for more coordination of care, consumers often voice frustration that their treatment is increasingly fragmented. Healthcare systems often tout the value of team-based care, but in many cases, meaningful, active collaboration between healthcare providers is the exception to the rule. Empowering Veterans with the most effective care, a new model for addressing trauma fuses expertise and strategically sequenced skills of providers. To illustrate the value of this model, Americans should look to a potentially game-changing treatment that teams a biological intervention called Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) with high quality psychological care, and ease of access through common-sense legislation. In traditional settings of trauma-focused care, patients engage with a therapist to address deep-seated psychological scars. When patients are struggling with acute trauma symptoms, they're overrun with adrenaline, and unable to calm down. In this state of mind, they're not prepared to receive and integrate psychological insights. Living in a state of "chronic threat response," these patients function in "survival mode," where decisions are made in a "fight-or-flight" context. We know that this exaggerated hyperarousal is predictive of poor response to standard PTSD treatments. In use since the 1920s for a variety of conditions, SGB is an injection of a local anesthetic adjacent to a cluster of nerves in the neck, just above the collarbone. When used for trauma symptoms, SGB appears to reset the fight-or-flight system. Used successfully for more than 10 years on thousands of patients to treat post-traumatic stress symptoms with a success rate between 70-80 percent, positive effects can last from six months to many years when paired with effective psychological interventions. Since 2014, research studies have shown consistently that SGB can reduce PTSD symptoms by 50 percent and is particularly helpful in improving symptoms of irritability, surges of anger, difficulty concentrating, and trouble falling or staying asleep. Most recently, a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry demonstrated twice the effect of SGB as compared to a placebo injection. The large magnitude of effect and high success rates of SGB are simply too compelling to ignore, especially when standard PTSD therapies demonstrate disappointing results and weak effect sizes. It's not just time to get the word out, it's time to take action. The Center for Compassionate Innovation within the VA describes SGB as a "safe and ethical" PTSD/I treatment option. A handful of pioneering physicians in approximately 11 clinics within the VA have begun to offer this procedure. The adoption of SGB as a treatment option across the VA would change -- and potentially save - the lives of countless veterans. Now, Congress must act. H.R. 5648, The Treatment and Relief through Emerging and Accessible Therapy for (TREAT) PTSD Act, would require the VA to provide SGB therapy as a front-line treatment for Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Congress must consider this bill swiftly and in bipartisan fashion. Effective healing requires us to practice collaboratively. Innovation is critical, especially now when trauma, secondary to our global health crisis, is rampant. Mental healthcare that fuses expertise of those providing psychological and biological interventions like Stellate Ganglion Block hold game-changing promise for relief from suffering. Those who suffer from trauma deserve the best care we can provide -- care that is practical, effective, and informed by modern neuroscience. Our Veterans are counting on us to be like them -- team up and find a better way. # # # Shauna Springer, Ph.D. is a leading trauma psychologist who treats Veterans and their families; Dr. Jim Lynch is a Combat Veteran and trusted Army physician of 31 years; and Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10) is a U.S. Army Combat Veteran with nearly 40 years of military service and author of H.R. 5648.

By Scott Perry The loss of any human life is tragic and sad -- and in some cases, simply breathtaking. This week, our Nation is reeling from the senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of several Minneapolis Police Officers. George Floyd and his family deserve justice - and all responsible for his murder must be held accountable. As we take action to deliver justice to the Floyd family, we must not forget about the fight to protect our Senior neighbors. Our most vulnerable population is unnecessarily suffering and dying of COVID-19 in our nursing, personal care, and long-term care facilities. Twenty-eight residents of the Spring Creek Rehab & Nursing Center in Dauphin County have died of COVID-19, according to the PA Department of Health (DOH) data released on June 2. In total, 193 residents and 31 employees tested positive at this facility. Across the river, 12 residents of The Gardens at West Shore have perished due to COVID-19, and 80 more were infected, with 56 dedicated staff testing positive. These are just two facilities in our community that are facing significant numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections. All told, according to the June 2nd data released by PA DOH, at least 4,500 residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities have died due to COVID-19. These outcomes were preventable On May 14, I called for a federal investigation into the PA DOH guidance to nursing homes and long-term care facilities during COVID-19. Gov. Wolf's misguided and dangerous policies continue to force nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit residents and readmit individuals from hospitals, regardless of whether they're confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19. Despite cries from families, medical experts, and elected officials at all levels of government, Gov. Wolf introduced and continues to enforce ill-advised, illogical and deadly policies. As of June 2, at least 79 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania involve residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and this may not even be the full story. Gov. Wolf and his administration continue to lack transparency and honesty in the reporting of COVID-19 deaths at these facilities, making it hard for all Pennsylvanians to understand the full impact of COVID-19 on our Seniors. Instead of taking responsibility and changing course like Gov. Cuomo in New York, the intractable Wolf Administration stayed the course and even attempted to shift blame to the federal government. During a May 21 press conference, PA Secretary of Health Rachel Levine falsely claimed that the guidance requiring these admissions and readmissions came from the federal government, specifically the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). I took these claims very seriously, and personally inquired with both federal agencies; bottom line -- no such policy existed/exists. Never during the pandemic did the CDC or CMS advise state officials to require the admission and readmission of COVID-19 positive individuals into long-term care facilities. This was a policy designed and implemented solely by Governor Wolf. For the safety of our most vulnerable populations, I once again implore Gov. Wolf to listen to federal guidance and medical experts and change the policies that literally are life or death for our Senior populations. One of my highest priorities as your representative is to partner at all levels of government to protect our Seniors. I've supported the Federal Government's response to the needs of Seniors and all Pennsylvanians during the outbreak of COVID-19. FEMA has sent supplemental shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) to all 15,400 Medicaid and Medicare-certified nursing homes across the United States. More recently, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $240 million in federal CARES Act funding for long-term care and nursing home facilities in Pennsylvania. We're in this fight to protect our Seniors and most at-risk populations together, but we need a cooperative partner in Gov. Wolf to listen to the needs of our Seniors and the cries of our medical experts to provide better protection to our facilities. It's time for Pennsylvania to change course and fully protect our most at-risk population. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has challenged each of us. We've experienced tremendous loss, and, through it all, found the strength to fight back against this invisible enemy. We have all made personal sacrifices, challenged our beliefs and routines, and above all, cooperated with one another to overcome. But cooperation must not be a one-way street. We need Governor Wolf to humble himself like we've all done, set aside his intransigence and join us to protect our Seniors and loved ones.

By Scott Perry My top priority as your federally elected representative is protecting our health, safety and security. In consultation for weeks with our region's leading infectious disease professionals and our Nation's subject matter experts on health and safety, I'm encouraged and comforted that America is home to world-class medical professionals and scientific researchers - already leading the international response to the COVID-19 virus. This virus understandably has raised fear and anxiety amongst our families and friends. But fear should not and cannot rule the day. In almost 40 years of military service, we learned many skills to keep our Troops alive and resilient under fire, but top among them was: preparation defeats panic, and facts win over fear. Our first step was to ensure the free flow of accurate and reliable information to put our communities in the best possible position to slow the spread of COVID-19. That's why I teamed up with scientists and doctors from Penn State Health and led a COVID-19 community leaders information meeting on Monday, which brought together elected township, county, and state officials, as well as first responders, school officials, business leaders and media for an honest discussion about our community's preparedness and knowledge of COVID-19. During the event, our local leaders consulted with leading scientists in epidemiology and infectious diseases to clarify any misunderstandings about the virus and inquire about aspects of the federal and state response. We answered many of those concerns, but will continually partner with experts and government at all levels to bridge any information gap. Following our community leaders meeting, I hosted a Facebook Live town hall on Tuesday, to provide an update on the federal government's response to COVID-19, and answer constituent questions. I'll continue to bring experts to speak with our community to help us prepare and mitigate misinformation. We're pushing out timely and accurate information to our community leaders and will continue to get counsel from the experts. This includes information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which issued guidance to prevent spread by keeping workplaces, homes, schools, and commercial establishments safe. I encourage you to review their guidance at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. Our next step was to ensure that our local, state, and federal officials have the resources and tools they need to screen, test, and treat patients. On March 6, I voted for a bipartisan emergency appropriations package that provided $8.3 billion for the COVID-19 response. This funding was immediately released to make diagnostic tests more broadly available, invest in vaccine development, and support state and local response efforts. From this funding, the CDC awarded over $560 million this week to state and local jurisdictions for COVID-19 response. In addition, more than 1 million tests were distributed nationwide, and another 4 million are expected to ship this week. Our actions also shortened the timeline for the development of a vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Congress on Thursday that he expects to begin human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine in a few weeks; far exceeding the initial expectation of two to three months. At the end of this week, the House also considered a measure to provide relief to individuals and industries most impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 I'm ready to assist you with any federal issues you may experience during this crisis. We're here to liaise with federal agencies, should you have any challenges/questions. We assisted our neighbors during their quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan, and currently are assisting families navigate the challenges of getting their children home from studying abroad. No issue or question is too small. We're here to serve you; please let us know what you need www.perry.house.gov / 717- 603 - 4980. America is great because America is good. We're a strong Nation - innovative, kind and resilient. Americans can overcome great challenges when we come together, and combatting the coronavirus is no different. Please stay prepared by staying informed. Let facts win over fear.