VA established the Toxic Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center (TEFSC) at the Baltimore VA Medical Center to provide clinical care and medical surveillance of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn Veterans with embedded fragments as the result of injury received while serving in an area of conflict.

Eligibility

VA requires active duty service in any of the conflicts below to qualify for the Toxic Embedded Fragments Registry:

• Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF
• Operation New Dawn (OND)

The Veteran must have, or likely have, an embedded fragment as the result of injury received while serving in an area of conflict.

You may download and print the Environmental Health Registry Programs for Veterans full-color brochure (495 KB, PDF) for a handy guide on VA's health registry programs: Ionizing Radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War, Depleted Uranium, and Toxic Embedded Fragments.

Clinical Care and Medical Surveillance

TEFSC clinical care and medical surveillance includes:

• Maintaining VA's Toxic Embedded Fragments Registry of OEF/OIF and OND Veterans who have had a fragment removed or who still have a fragment in their body
• Using information from the registry to write guidelines for medical care
• Providing guidelines for medical care to other VA healthcare providers across the country
• Providing special testing for chemicals that might be released from the fragments

Contact the Environmental Health Coordinator or OEF/OIF Clinical Coordinator at your nearest VA health care facility to learn more.