At the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), we have one mission: to improve the lives of service members with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health conditions. As a globally recognized leader in TBI care, research, and education, we consider it a privilege to serve those who serve our country.

Why the NICoE is a Great Place to Work

1. We are the headquarters of the Defense Intrepid Network for TBI and Brain Health (Defense Intrepid Network). The Defense Intrepid Network offers multiple opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the 13 military TBI centers that form the network. This benefits clinicians, researchers, educators, and–most importantly–patients at military treatment facilities from Landstuhl to Lejeune.
2. We treat the whole patient. Rather than focusing on isolated symptoms, our interdisciplinary care model recognizes the complex interaction of problems many patients experience after TBI. Our renowned 4-week intensive outpatient program (IOP) uses traditional rehabilitation, neurological, and behavioral health treatments combined with integrative medical interventions and skills-based training. By the end of the IOP, patients have a variety of tools to address anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, pain, and other common comorbidities.
3. Our patient satisfaction rate is 98%. In patient surveys, 98% of respondents were satisfied or highly satisfied with the IOP.
4. You might encounter bagpipe music or a black Labrador in our hallways. Animal-assisted therapy and music therapy are among the offerings here, as well as yoga, biofeedback, and art therapy. The grand piano outside our physical-therapy gym gets a lot of use, too.
5. We see lives, marriages, and families transformed by our evidence-based TBI interventions. Understanding the tremendous impact TBI can have on not only patients but those who love them, we involve families in the treatment at every opportunity. And during breaks, they might decompress on our playground or at our picnic tables.
6. Our researchers are running 30 active studies to further understand brain health and are working to translate this research into practice. And our informatics team is renowned for its innovative approach to tracking clinical services and outcomes for all Military Health System TBI patients.
7. Our state-of-the-art technology includes a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), a large-scale virtual reality (VR) system used to assess and treat vestibular issues and PTSD. Providers can view brain scans and images in multiple dimensions by using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3T MRI), or Magnetoencephalography (MEG).

Careers at the NICoE

Visit USAJobs.gov for a list of public openings.

Residents and Interns

Depending on the capacity of NICoE providers and other staff to fulfill required responsibilities, we may accept medical residents and interns. To inquire about availability of these programs, please contact us at dha.bethesda.ncr-medical.mbx.nicoe@mail.mil.