Brain Injury Awareness Day in Harrisburg October 17, 2023 All are invited!
We hope you'll join us at Brain Injury Awareness Day, a day to educate legislators in the Pennsylvania General Assembly about the needs of brain injury survivors. Here is the agenda for the day and a picture of a flyer with details about the event. Click on the flyer below to download a copy.
Agenda for the Day
Brain Injury Briefing - Main Rotunda 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Schedule your own Legislative Meetings 11:40 AM - 12:50 PM
Reception - Room 8E-B 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Brain Injury Panel - Room 8E-B 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
The Brain Injury Challenge: Race for Recovery October 15th!
Enjoy the gorgeous October foliage in Bucks County and show your support for BIAPA and the Drucker Brain Injury Center at Moss Rehab by participating in the Brain Injury Challenge: Race for Recovery at Tyler State Park. It's a scenic 5K course for avid runners; a supportive and fun run for beginner runners; a healthy 1-mile walk for those who prefer not to run; and a good 1-mile roll for those on wheels.
New for 2023, the event will be held on Sunday, October 15 rain or shine! Check-in opens at 7:30 am, the 5K starts at 9:00 am, and the walk starts at 9:30 AM. Prizes will be awarded to overall top male and female finishers, and medals will be given to top male and female finishers in each age category. If you prefer not to run, walk, or roll, please consider supporting a participant.
Come yourself, with a friend or form a team honoring your favorite brain injury hero! This fun event will raise both money and awareness for brain injury. Additional race details, including how to register, are found on this link: Brain Injury Challenge: Race for Recovery.
BIAPA Clinical Form Series
Join us on Tuesday, October 10 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. E for a presentation and discussion with Steve Wisniewski, PhD, Vice Provost for Data and Analytics at the University of Pittsburgh. The topic will be Developing Evidence-Based Treatment by Utilizing Data: Examples from University of Pittsburgh's Epidemiology Data Center: Approaches and Decisions in Acute Pediatric TBI.
During his tenure at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Wisniewski has developed a successful research program focusing on the design and analysis of clinical trials, specifically, multi-center clinical trials. As co-director of the EpidemiologyDataCenter, he helps guide the Center’s efforts for collaborative, multi-disciplinary researchprojects.His primary area of research is in the conduct of multi-center trials. Over the course of his career,he considers himself lucky to have been involved in the design and analysis of seminal trials evaluating the efficacy of treatments in a numberof different areas endophthalmitis, depression, bipolar disorder, and traumatic brain injury. He is currently involved in several large-scale research collaborations evaluating treatments for traumatic brain injury and complications related to trauma (e.g.,pain medication, management of blood products, airway management).
This session is intended for a professional audience and is free of charge.
Please email schmidt@biapa.org with any questions.
September is Falls Prevention Month!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and leads to nearly half of TBI-related hospitalizations. To protect ourselves and our loved ones, we must prioritize prevention. By raising awareness about the importance of fall prevention strategies, such as regular exercise, home safety modifications, regular health check-ups, and the simple act of wearing bike helmets, we hope to reduce the incidence of brain injuries.
For more information on the prevention of falls and the types of injuries that may be experienced due to a fall, visit BIAA's Falls Prevention Month webpage here.
BIAPA Participates in Brain Injury &
Opioid Misuse Initiative
In recent years, opioid misuse has become a significant public health challenge, with many unwanted consequences, including an intersection with brain injury. Opioid use disorder increases the risk for brain injury.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is partnering with the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA) to raise awareness of the intersection of brain injury and opioid misuse and to provide training and consultation to substance abuse providers and professionals who work with individuals struggling with opioid misuse and/or addiction.
Click the video link below to see one family's story. In this powerful and heart-wrenching video, BIAPA board member Dr. Madeline DiPasquale, sits down with Andrea and Chris to talk about Chris's opioid abuse disorder, overdose from fentanyl and resulting anoxic brain injury. Andrea bravely opens up about Chris's opioid overdose and how it has affected both of their lives. Watch to the end to see Chris talk about his life and his hopes for the future!
The BIAPA statewide virtual support group will meet Thursday, October 19 at 5 PM. This tight-knit community consists of survivors, caregivers, family and professionals from across the state of Pennsylvania! Please use this Zoom Link to access the meeting.
BIAPA's next Caregiver Support Group will be held on Wednesday October 11 at 6 PM. This monthly, virtual meeting is open to all caregivers. The meetings are an excellent opportunity for caregivers to meet one another, share experiences and discuss topics of unique relevance to their roles. No pre-registration is required! To join this monthly meeting, use this Zoom Link.
A full list of all of Pennsylvania's Brain Injury Support Groups, along with contact information for each, is on the BIAPA website's Support Group Listing Page. We are in the process of updating this information, and while we have done so for most groups, there are still some that we're trying to reach. If you're aware of groups that are meeting either virtually or in-person and are not on our listing, or if you have any updated details about a group on the list, please contact Melanie Morrison morrison@biapa.org so that we can let others know about them.
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