Brain Injury Blog | Traumatic Brain Injury TBI

On Tuesday, May 27, at 11 am EDT, nationally-recognized talk show host Diane Rehm will interview Susan Connors, Brain Injury Association of America president/CEO, and Michael Mason, author of Head Cases, the compelling compilation of individual stories of brain injury and its aftermath.

Tune your radio to the National Public Radio Station in your area. When the show starts, call 1-800-433-8850 or send an email to drshow@wamu.org to participate.

As Congress adjourns for Memorial Day Recess next week, formal appropriations action on federal TBI programs is just around the corner.

Beginning in June, both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees are expected to hold markups on the Fiscal 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations bill, which provides federal funding for multiple TBI programs. Continue Reading »

Symposium on Deep Brain Stimulation Held in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, BIAA Government Affairs Associate Robert Demichelis attended “Brain Pacemakers: A Promising Approach and a New Era of Hope for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders,” a symposium on deep brain stimulation sponsored by The Office on Disability, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Cleveland Clinic Center for Neurological Restoration. Continue Reading »

Medicare Competitive Bidding Program Under Congressional Scrutiny

On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the issue of competitive bidding of durable medical equipment (DME) under the Medicare Fee-For-Service program. As a member of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), as well as the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, BIAA signed on to several letters urging Congress to ensure that the Medicare competitive bidding program does not decrease access to and the quality of assistive devices. Continue Reading »

In other exciting news, BIAA proudly endorsed The Caring for Wounded Warriors Act of 2008 (S. 2921), legislation introduced on Monday, April 28 by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton which would increase support for family caregivers of servicemembers with TBI. Several recommendations made by BIAA during the legislative drafting process were incorporated into the bill. Continue Reading »

BIAA Roots On Servicemembers at Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride White House Kickoff

A representative of BIAA was invited to attend an event hosted by President George W. Bush on Thursday at the White House. BIAA Government Affairs Director Laura Schiebelhut was proud to be part of the inspiring event, which honored a group of wounded warriors as they kicked off the Wounded Warrior Project’s second annual “Soldier Ride: White House to Light House Challenge.”

Soldier Ride, sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, is a rehabilitative cycling program for wounded warriors, including individuals with brain injury. For many of these combat-wounded veterans, Soldier Ride provides the first steps in the return to an active lifestyle.

Recently, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) appears to be deemphasizing medical rehab research, including valuable research related to TBI. BIAA is working as part of a coalition of advocacy groups to send NIDRR a message that resources for medical rehabilitation research (referred to by NIDRR as “health and function” research) needs to be increased, not decreased. We need your help! Continue Reading »

To celebrate March as Brain Injury Awareness Month, the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force is hosting a “2008 Brain Injury Awareness Day,” on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, on Capitol Hill.  Multiple events are planned, which are designed to educate Members of Congress and their staff about brain injury.

These events include an Awareness Day Fair, which will feature exhibits and informational materials from individuals and organizations working in the field of brain injury.  The day will also include a Congressional Briefing focused on the topic of “Traumatic Brain Injury and Community Needs.”  The end of the day will feature an early-evening Congressional Reception sponsored by various national advocacy organizations, including the National Brain Injury Treatment and Training Foundation (NBIRTT), the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA).

In addition, an informal advocacy training session will be held in the morning, where information on this year’s federal legislative agenda priorities related to TBI will be distributed.  Advocates attending the day’s events are encouraged to make appointments ahead of time to visit their representatives in Congress and to use these legislative agenda materials during meetings with lawmakers.

BIAA invites all advocates to attend “2008 Brain Injury Awareness Day” events, and to help educate Members of Congress and their staff.  The Day also represents an important opportunity to network with others interested in helping increase brain injury awareness.

2008 Brain Injury Awareness Day Schedule of Events

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Brain Injury Awareness Fair
First Floor Foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - Advocacy Training Session
1116 Longworth House Office Building

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Congressional Briefing on “Traumatic Brain Injury and Community Needs”
1116 Longworth House Office Building

Early Evening - Congressional Reception Celebrating Brain Injury Awareness Day
TBD

Please RSVP by Monday, March 3, 2008, to Hope Mandel in Congressman Bill Pascrell’s office if you wish to attend and/or exhibit materials during the Awareness Fair.  You may also contact Hope at (202) 225-5751 or Becky Wolfkiel in Congressman Platts’ office at (202) 225-5836 with questions or for more information.

In addition, as always, you may contact Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA’s Director of Government Affairs, at lschiebelhut@biausa.org, or 703-761-0750 ext. 637, for further clarification.

New research suggests that hidden traumatic brain injuries can cause social or educational failure, such as alcoholism or homelessness. If broadly verified, the findings could have a significant impact in dealing with these difficulties.

Read More: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120156672297223803.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone

Researchers studying brain injury believe they’ve found a common thread running through many cases of seemingly unrelated social problems: a long-forgotten blow to the head.

Read More: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120156672297223803.html