Leadership Spotlight: Ms. Katherine Helmick

August 28, 2009

Ms. Kathy Helmick serves as the director of the TBI Clinical Standards of Care Directorate at DCoE as well as Interim Senior Executive Director for TBI at DCoE, while the next military director is recruited. She possesses both clinical and research experience in the field of neuroscience and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in family and child development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Ms. Helmick has served in a variety of leadership, advisory and operational roles, including: manager at the Office of Clinical Standards, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), in Washington, D.C.; neurological surgery nurse practitioner at Hodes Neurosurgery in Louisville, Ky.; nurse practitioner/clinical care coordinator at University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Ky.; and clinical research coordinator in the Division of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals.

The TBI directorate develops and promotes optimal clinical standards of care for warriors sustaining TBI. “To be in the front seat of such an exciting endeavor has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hold dearly and with much honor,” said Ms. Helmick. “As Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton has told us numerous times, ‘we cannot be patient, our mission is great and we need to stay focused to help serve those who serve the United States so selflessly.’ This is what drives me every day serving at DCoE!”

Ms. Helmick serves as the deputy director for the Clinical and Educational Affairs Division at DVBIC — a DCoE component center. DVBIC was established to prevent, treat, conduct research, and provide education on TBI for active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members recently injured in the line of duty, their dependents and retired military personnel. Ms. Helmick serves as a key advisor to the DVBIC national director on all matters relating to the clinical and educational activities of the center and represents DVBIC at meetings.