Brain Injury Lawyer - New York

Free webinar to examine recovery from severe traumatic brain injury resulting in coma and loss of consciousness

The Brain Trauma Foundation is presenting a free webinar on Assessment & Prognosis in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 12-1 Eastern Time. This webinar is open to all.

Survivors of severe traumatic brain injury face a wide range of possible prognoses, from nearly complete recovery to permanent unconsciousness. The ability to predict prognosis at an early point is limited, but the time until return of consciousness (e.g., command following) and orientation (e.g., duration of post-traumatic amnesia) are useful predictors in the early days and weeks. More specialized assessment techniques exist of those with persistent disorders of consciousness, and new assessment tools and promising treatment options are under development. This presentation will review the range of outcomes that are possible after severe TBI, suggest ways to improve prognostic prediction and treatment planning, and offer insight into emerging treatments.

By the end of this webinar the participant will be able to:

1. Describe the range of outcomes and prognosis that are possible following severe TBI.

2. Identify 2 approaches to the assessment of patients whose level of consciousness remains impaired.

3. Use time frame and prognostic information to guide treatment planning.

You can click here to register.

Heads Up Film Festival – Give Brain Injury a Voice on Facebook

The Centers for Disease Control has developed a Facebook page to allow victims of traumatic brain injury and family members to share their story, experiences, successes, challenges, goals, memories and the hopes that motivate them each day.

The site is designed to give traumatic brain injury, known as the “silent epidemic” a voice.

Who can post a video story?

All are welcome! The film festival is non-competitive and open to all. Whether you are a survivor, family member, caregiver, health care professional, parent, coach, teacher, researcher or anyone who cares about brain injury – lend your voice and share your story!

Tell Your Story

Create a video and share your story online at the Heads Up Film Festival.  Or if you'd rather share your story without video, visit CDC Heads Up Facebook page

Veterans Brain Injury Services Free Webinar

The Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS) is offering a free webinar, “Veteran-Directed and VA Home-Based Services: Opportunities in NY and Beyond”

The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. -2:15 p.m..  ET

You need to register by Tuesday, March, 27th.

The presenter, Dianne Kayala, is the Director of New Initiatives with the National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services where she leads the Veteran-Directed Home and Community-Based Services (VD-HCBS) project and Innovations Grants.  She was formerly the administrator of adult Medicaid services in Rhode Island and served on the Executive Committee of the NationalAssociation of State Head Injury Administrators for five years.

For registration information and to register, click here.

Brain Injury Attorney Michael Kaplen joins WFAN Icon Bob Salter to discuss brain injury awareness, brain injury prevention and brain injury rehabilitation

On Sunday, March 11^th, New York brain injury attorney, Michael V. Kaplen joined WFAN icon Bob Salter on his morning talk show to discuss the Brain Injury Awareness Month and this year’s theme, “Brain Injury-Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone”

With reports according to the Centers for Disease Control of over 1.7 million brain injuries occurring each year in the United States and a 60% increase in reported concussions in hospital emergency departments over the past ten years, traumatic brain injury has reached epidemic levels. 

Brain injuries can last a life time and can have a profound impact on all aspects of an individual’s life.

Michael joined Bob Salter for a full hour discussion on the many aspects of brain injury awareness, brain injury prevention and brain injury rehabilitation.  You can click here to listen to the full show.

Brain Injury-Anytime, Anyplace, Anyone

I will be interviewed by Bob Salter this Sunday morning on his  talk show, aired on CBS radio, 66 AM, WFAN, The Fan.  The show begins at 6 am, but I do not know what time our interview segment will be aired.

We will be discussing some of the most recent news on the issues of sports concussions, brain injury awareness and why the slogan for this year’s Brain Injury Awareness Month campaign is: Brain Injury--Anytime, Anyplace, Anyone.

New brain injury webinars sponsored by Brain Injury Association of America

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has announced two new Webinars exploring the Epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injury and the Challenges of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

The brain injury webinars will air as follows:

Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at 3 p.m. ET:

Epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injury

Mark Faul PhD, MA, Senior Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Faul will discuss current research in the CDC's epidemiological study of TBI.

ACBIS Certificants Registration Price: $50

Non-ACBIS Certificants Registration Price: $55

Continuing Education awarded: 1 hour

Registration closes at 5 p.m. ET on March 5.

Click here to register. Information on how to join the webinar will be sent to registrants on March 6. 

Thursday, March 22, 2012, at 3pm ET:

The Unique Challenges of Mild Head Injury

Matthew Dodson, OTD, OTR/L

Caregiver Education Series

 Registration Price: $30

Continuing Education awarded: 1 hour

Registration closes at 5 p.m. ET on March 20.

Click here to register. Information on how to join the webinar will be sent to registrants on March 21. 

Meeting the needs of student veterans with traumatic brain injury

The Brain Injury Association of New York State, (BIANYS) is offering a free web broadcast, Meeting the Needs of Student Veterans: The Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from 1-2:30 p.m. ET

The presenter, is Mina Dunnam, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist. Dr. Dunnam has been in hospital practice as well as private practice for more than 25 years. She is currently on staff at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY, where she directs the Neuropsychology Program

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now by clicking here. Please register by Thursday January 26^th, as space is limited.

Free Webinar on Concussions

There will be a free webinar, "From Concussion to Consequence," on October 18th designed to address our current knowledge about managing concussions, particularly in the area of sports and the effects that a concussion can have on an individual's life. 

The 60 minute presentation will feature medical experts from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, a member of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the editor in chief of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.

The seminar is sponsored by medical publishers, Ovid and Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins in partnership with the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

For more information and to register click here.

New brain injury video series

A new on line video series, Understanding Brain Injury"has been produced by the Shepherd Brain Injury Center to assist in educating patients and family members about brain injury.

The videos use simple language to discuss brain injuries and include interviews with medical experts, brain injury survivors and family members.  Lee Woodruff whose husband, ABC News Anchor, Bob Woodruff sustained a traumatic brain injury in a bomb blast in Iraq adds her practical advice.

The video is in five chapters and each is easily down loadable.  The first Chapter is an introduction to brain damage, chapter 2 is Brain Injury Basics and Anatomy, Chapter 3 is Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury, its Causes, Effects and Classifications, Chapter 4 is Understanding Non-traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke, its Causes, Effects and Classifications and Chapter 5 contains practical advice on coping with traumatic brain injury.

The videos can be viewed by clicking here.

Interview tomorrow with New York Governor Paterson on traumatic brain injury legislation and the new CDC sports concussion statistics

Join me tomorrow, Monday October 10^th at 4:40 PM when I will be interviewed by former New York Governor David Paterson on WOR 710 AM. You can listen live by clicking here . We will be discussing my opinions on the recently signed New York State concussion legislation and similar legislation passed in other states.

We need to go further to protect the health and safety of our nation’s youth.  Sports concussion legislation must include meaningful restrictions on when an athlete can return to play; requirements for baseline testing and retesting after an injury and before an athlete is cleared to return to play; return to play decisions by qualified professionals; insurance for the rehabilitation of those athletes who have sustained cognitive brain damage; an educational component that restricts and monitors the class room activities of children when they return to school; and an educational component that provides meaningful information on concussions to students, parents, teachers and coaches.

We will also be discussing the alarming statistics released last week by the Centers for Disease Control on the 250,000 reported sports related concussions in emergency room visits for the year 2009 and the implications for sports concussion management.  It is important to note that this statistic does not cover the athletes who never seek emergency room treatment.  The CDC extrapolates that the rate of concussions for all student athletes exceeds over 1 million individual’s each year!