Clinical Services and Referrals Overview

The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) is a tertiary care consultation center that serves Veterans who have post-deployment health concerns. We offer expert advice and healthcare to Veterans across the country, ensuring that Veterans nationwide have access to specialized care for complex deployment-related conditions.

Every Veteran referred to WRIISC gets an electronic consult (E-Consult). This involves a team of experts reviewing the Veteran’s medical records to understand their health issues after deployment. The team then provides a report with recommended next steps and resources. These recommendations may include additional WRIISC services like:

• Military Occupational and Exposure Assessments
• Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Post-Deployment Health Evaluations
• Integrative Health and Wellness initiatives

These services are primarily conducted through virtual health.  In person evaluations at specific WRIISC sites may be recommended on a case-by-case basis.   There are three WRIISC locations to make sure Veterans have timely access to specialized post-deployment healthcare.

WRIISC Clinical Services Eligibility

Veterans who could benefit from WRIISC services include those who:

• Have unexplained health symptoms lasting more than six months.
• Have completed an appropriate workup of their symptoms. If workups are completed outside the VA, please have those records available for review.
• Continue to experience these symptoms despite receiving treatment.
• Were deployed to a combat zone.
• Are medically and mentally stable and have had no substance abuse for the past six months, as WRIISC cannot evaluate Veterans with current substance use disorders.

Veterans may not be eligible if they do not have a combat deployment or are not medically or psychiatrically stable, or have not completed an initial health evaluation. However, these Veterans will be directed to other VA services to meet their needs.

Eligible deployments include:

• Vietnam War (1962-1975)
• Gulf War 1 (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm) (1990-1991)
• Somalia (1992-1994)
• Bosnia-Herzegovina (1995-1996)
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan
• Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn – Iraq
• For other combat deployments not listed, please provide specific details.

WRIISC Clinical Referrals

WRIISC recommends that Veterans’ primary care providers make referrals to WRIISC to ensure the best follow-up care.