CALL THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD AT 800-828-0498

Over the past week, you may have seen news reports suggesting that health care reform is in serious jeopardy. WE MUST INSIST THAT CONGRESS COMPLETE HEALTH CARE REFORM NOW!

Too many Americans with disabilities and chronic conditions are not well served by the current system and will make tremendous gains through enactment of health care reform.

Take action NOW! Starting TODAY and continuing until the final votes on legislation, call your members of Congress and tell them NOT TO GIVE UP ON AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES AND CHRONIC CONDITIONS! TELL THEM THAT YOU WANT THEM TO CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM!!!

• Health care reform will end discrimination based on health status in the private market – discrimination that currently leaves millions of vulnerable Americans uninsured
• Health care reform will include new, affordable voluntary long term care insurance coverage—the CLASS Act—and expand Medicaid coverage for home and community based services
• Health care reform will expand Medicaid eligibility and provide subsidies in the private market, creating more affordable coverage for people with disabilities
• Health care reform will prohibit annual and lifetime limits on coverage so that individuals with serious conditions will not be forced into medical bankruptcy

CALL THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD AT 800-828-0498. (If you can’t get through on the 800 number, call the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) or your member’s district office.)

Tell your Senators and Representatives that NOW is the time for Congress to complete meaningful health care reform that prevents discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions, includes the CLASS Act and expands coverage of Medicaid home and community based services.

People with disabilities and their families cannot wait any longer for relief!

There are currently two bills working their way through the Assembly that of interest to the California brain injury community:

AB 533 – Introduced by Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi would, commencing December 31, 2010, require each high school sports coach to complete a coaching education program that includes training in recognizing and managing the signs and symptoms of potentially catastrophic injuries, including but not limited to: head and neck injuries, concussions, second impact syndrome, asthma attacks, heatstroke, and cardiac arrest; emergency action planning; and communicating effectively with 911 emergency services.

AB 398 – Introduced by Assemblyman Members Monning and Chesbro. This bill would remove the State Department of Mental Health as the agency responsible for administering the program of services for persons with acquired traumatic brain injury, would, instead, establish the Department of Rehabilitation as the responsible agency, and would make conforming changes.

Please contact CALBIA for any further information; or your local representative to let them know how you feel about either of these bills.

CALBIA’S Executive Director, Manfred Tatzmann, was asked to represent the Brain Injury Association of America, survivors, family members, and Affiliates’ at the Fifth White House Regional Forum on Health Reform in Los Angeles on April 6, held by the Obama administration. The forums bring together Americans across the region, key health care stakeholders, and elected officials from both sides of the aisle to discuss what must be done to change our health care system. The first four forums were held in Michigan, Vermont, Iowa, and North Carolina.

With the inviting sounds of Greek music by Synthesi, and the aroma of traditional Greek food by Thank Goodness It’s Sophia, over 190 attendees were on hand to be a part of the 3rd Annual Greek Dinner & Dance For Thought in Long Beach on March 7th.

This event has almost doubled in size in the three years and has helped the California Brain Injury association (CALBIA) to raise awareness and critical funds to support CALBIA’s efforts during Brain Injury awareness Month.

Prior to dinner being served, Board Member Dr. Richard Adams, welcomed the attendees and introduced CALBIA’s new Executive Director, Manfred Tatzmann. Following dinner, Dr. Adams introduced Mr. Curtis Story, a survivor who told his amazing story of survival and provided musical entertainment. Next, the Nea Ellas Greek Dance Group from Long Beach, dressed in traditional Greek costumes, performed a suite of Greek Dances and promptly invited the guests onto the dance floor to teach them two dances at the end of their performance.

attendees closed out the evening by dancing and bidding on Silent auction items. caLBIa would like to thank the many sponsors and donors, and volunteers who made this event a huge success.

• Dr. & Mrs. Richard Adams
• Long Beach Memorial Medical center
• Casa Colina centers for rehabilitation
• Centre For Neuro Skills
• Loma Linda University Medical center
• R.J. & D.A. Munzer Foundation
• David & Suzanne Nosworthy
• John Schultz
• Jorie McKenzie
• Anna Platt
• Patrick & Barbara Mahoney
• Pamela Nix
• Jacquelyn Jones
• Charles & Loretta Luskin
• Chris & Jane Conway
• Keith & Sarah Miller
• Bibana Jin Reiser & Edwin
• Shackeroff
• The Jeff Barnes Foundation
• Jan Wood
• Andrea Ware
• Dr. Lisa Kreber
• Mary Daoutis
• Jennifer Pessin
• Ursula Williams
• Cheri Barnes
• Jennifer Hardin

The four Walk’s-for-Thought were a great success this year! Walker’s exceeded the donation goal of $50,000 to reach a remarkable $76,796. This milestone was achieved by the many walkers that solicited donations from their family and friends. Donations were received from all across the United States, and even a few from outside of the US. In reviewing the reports, only 1/3 of the walkers actively participated in the fund raising effort. Imagine what we can do next year if everybody takes a few minutes to solicit donations either by the e-mail tool provided on the online registration page, by writing personalized letters, or soliciting cash donations from co-workers, neighbors, etc.? CALBIA would like to extend the challenge to all participants of the 2010 Walks to set your goals high and try soliciting donations, you will be surprised at just how many people will respond.

The success of these walks would not have been possible without the help of our walk Site Coordinators: Donna Lewis representing Freedom House and the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation in San Diego; Brenda Collins representing the Head Trauma Support Project in Sacramento; and Debi Palmer representing Brain Injury Connection in San Francisco / East Bay. These ladies did an amazing job and are to be commended for their dedication to their individual organizations, CALBIA, and the brain injury community. We also wish to thank and recognize the many volunteers and sponsors that supported these walks.

The value of these events cannot be understated. The income from these walks provides essential funding for the operations of CALBIA, with a portion going to the local nonprofit organizations that hosted a walk site. All proceeds from the Bakersfield walk benefited CALBIA entirely.

To maintain and sustain ongoing activities, next year we hope to double the number of communities that will hold a walk. Over the summer CALBIA will prepare a “How-to” manual on hosting a walk, which should help new walk organizers plan out their local event.

We encourage as many organizations and communities as possible to become a Walk host next year. For more information about becoming a walk site host, please contact Paula Daoutis at (661) 872-4903.

CALBIA’s website is the #1 website on Google for search terms “California Brain Injury.” The annual number of visitors is over 10,000, with over 1,151 page views. About 70% of the visitors were new to the site and 39% came from search engines, 33% came from refer­ring sites, and 28% were direct traffic. Visitors originated from 15 countries and 37 states.

2009 will bring changes to the website as we, and other state affiliates, begin the process of branding with the Brain Injury Association (BIAA).

Legislative Report December 2008
by Rick Rollens – Consultant for CALBIA

The 2009-2010 California Legislative Session began in early December to swear in the new members elect­ed in November, organize the Assembly and Senate and elect it’s leaders, and most important­ly, to try and tackle the mon­strous and ever growing State Budget Deficit.

Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) was elected Presi­dent Pro-Tem of the Senate and is expected to hold that position for the next six years. Senator Steinberg is a good friend of CALBIA’s, and in January, Mark Ashley and I will be meeting with the Senator to discuss CALBIA’s Legislative Initiatives as well as hearing Senator Stein­berg’s views on opportunities and obstacles facing our efforts this Legislative Session.

As long as the Budget Deficit continues, and grows at a rate of least $50 million a day, the Capi­tol will be consumed and preoc­cupied with finding a solution to California’s most serious Budget crisis in it’s history. Many social service and health services pro­grams have been hit hard with Budget reductions with more reductions and restructuring to come. We will continue to be very engaged in our efforts to work to protect those vital ser­vices that persons with brain injury rely on.

This recent article focuses on the “Hidden Causes of Social Disorders”, tying social symptoms to traumatic brain and head injuries.

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 here…

A benefit concert for the
CALIFORNIA BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION

Sunday, March 16, 7:00 p.m.
Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center
Silicon Valley Auditorium

Duets and ensembles from beloved operas: Carmen, La Traviata, Rigoletto, La Bohème, and many more with professional area singers.

All proceeds benefit the CALIFORNIA BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION, a non-profit membership organization providing information, referrals, education, advocacy and support for those affected by brain injury.

INFORMATION: 408-357-7429
www.svjcc.org/opera/
Download Flyer (pdf)