Smart Talk: Film focuses on military mental health; Silent killer Sepsis

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, September 14, 2016:

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs determined that an average of 20 US military veterans commit suicide every day.  Thank You For Your Service is a documentary that follows the lives of four veterans of the Iraq War as they navigate through life carrying the “invisible scars” they brought home from war.

Director Tom Donahue addresses the difficulties re-acclimating to the routines after the homecoming, from managing personal relationships and careers to obtaining care from veteran services.  The film uncovers the cracks in the system that can leave veterans feeling helpless and the misguided philosophies about war planning and accommodating service men and women following their service.

Interviews with high level civilian and military leaders, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Generals David Petraeus and Mayor Rudy Giuliani, demonstrate a series of miscues and neglect when addressing the needs of the more than 2 million Americans who have served in the Middle East over the last 15 years.

We will talk with the film’s director, Tom Donahue, as well as Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Gary Wynn, Assistant Chief of Psychiatry at the Department of Defense’s Medical School and William Barko, a retired Army colonel who has dedicated his life to advancing military medical care.

Thank You For Your Service will be shown September 15, 2016 at 6:30pm at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.

Also, September is Sepsis Awareness Month and it’s dubbed the silent killer. It’s also believed to be highly under-reported. In the US, there are 250,000 deaths each year from Sepsis, but some health care providers believe it could be 500,000 death a year. More people die from Sepsis than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and HIV/AIDS combined.

Dr. Thomas Stoner of Pinnacle Health appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to discuss.