Brain Injury Lawyer - New York

November Brain Injury Conferences

The following brain injury conferences will take place during the month of November 2009:

Nov 4
Collaborative Approaches to Rehabilitation for Adults with Brain Injury
Omaha, NE
715-829-8055
click here

Nov 5
Cognitive Rehabilitation: Meeting the Challenges in The Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury & Polytrauma
Grand Forks, ND
715-829-8055
click here

Nov 5-6
BIA of West Virginia presents "My Child Has a Brain Injury: Information for Families and Schools"
South Charleston, WV
click here

Nov 16-18
14th Annual Brain Injury Association State Affiliate Leadership Conference
San Antonio, TX
703-761-0750 ext. 622
click here
www.brain-injury.org/education.htm

Nov 17
2nd Annual Partners in Brain Injury Conference
Little Rock, AK
800-444-6433
click here

Nov 20-21
10th Annual Neuroscience of Brain Injury: Research Informing Medical Treatment and Legal Practice
Napa, CA
661-872-4903
click here

Brain Injury Speech and Language Conference

Thanks to BrainLine for tipping me off to the on line brain injury conference geared to audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Traumatic brain injury and concussions often lead to speech and language difficulties.  This on line conference sponsored by the American-Speech Language Hearing Association is scheduled for October 13th to October 26th 2009.  You can get more information by clicking here.

Brain Injury: Active Clinical Trials

The Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) has annouced their next interactive web based lecture topic: Current Active Clinical Trials in TBI  in their Lunchtime Lecture series.  The program is scheudled for October 14, 2009 from 12:00-1:00 PM EDT for a live, interactive, web-based lecture on Current Active Clinical Trials in TBI.

BTF’s Lunchtime Lectures are a monthly, one-hour online lecture series taught by top neurotrauma care experts on various up-to-date topics related to traumatic brain injury (TBI).  An excellent opportunity for all healthcare professionals, these live, interactive lectures are complete with slides and audio and easily accessible through an Internet

Lecture Description: Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death under age 45 in the Western World. Despite the efforts of investigators worldwide, no phase III clinical has yet been successful. However, recent advances in clinical trial design and implementation leverage lessons learned from past failures. At present, several promising interventions are being tested through multicenter clinical trials, including progesterone, citicholine, and anti-apoptotic agents. This lecture will discuss clinical trial design factors as well as describe current and impending clinical trials for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

 Learning Ojbectives: 
• Discuss the current active multicenter clinical trials in traumatic brain injury.
• Discuss limitations of clinical trial design impacting recent clinical trial failures.
• Discuss clinical trials in traumatic brain injury set to launch in the next year.

You can access registration information by clicking here.

Colorado Brain Injury Association Annual Conference

The Brain Injury Association of Coloardo (BIAC) will hold its 27th annual conference at the Marriott Denver Tech Center on October 7-9, 2009.  The conference will be held in conjunction with the meetings of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Society of Neurorehabilitation at the same hotel.  The BIAC agenda and registration can be reviewed by clicking here . are still available at www.biacolorado.org.

Celebrating with Dorothy and the team at Wizard of Oz anniversary celebration

We had a great time last night celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz hosted by Warner Bros. Entertainment last evening.  I am hopeful that my conversations with executives of Warner Bros.explaining the significance of this film to those who suffer from a traumatic brain injury will lead to future collaboration between the producers and the Brain Injury Association of New York State. 

Wizard of Oz 70th anniversary celebration

We're off to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz tomorrow evening and the release of the remastered edition of the film.  Shana and I are honored that we have been invited to attend the Warner Brothers 70th anniversary celebration tomorrow evening in New York City.  Tavern on the Green will be redecorated to resemble the emerald city and the empire state building will be lit up in green to add to the celebration. 

The Wizard of Oz has been utilized in many of my presentations to illustrate the journey that one goes though following a  traumatic brain injury.   On many occasions I have discussed the meaningful ways that the film has inspired many family members and persons who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. 

After all, The Wizard of Oz is a film about traumatic brain injury and the long journey back home that follows.

Here are just some themes and thoughts from the film and its relationship to brain trauma.
 
The film begins with Dorothy being caught in a tornado and suffering brain injury.  When Dorothy finally arrives in Oz she meets up with her social worker and traumatic brain injury case coordinator, Glinda the Good Witch, who advises her that to get back home to Kansas, she needs to meet with the great and powerful neuropsychololgist, the Wizard of Oz at the Emerald City Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program.  On her way to Oz, Dorothy meets other individuals suffering from disabilities, (no brain, no heart, no courage).  Each one of these individuals is an inspiration to others suffering from a disability. When Dorothy finally reaches Oz, she is initially  turned away from receiving the rehabilitation services she so badly needs until she proves that she has sufficient insurance coverage  (the ruby slippers) and the correct referral (Glinda the Good Witch).  

When Dorothy and her friends finally meet with the great and powerful neuropsychologist, the Wizard of Oz, he provides them with their first community based task completion assignment, (bring back the broom of the Wicked Witch).  But when they return from completing their task, the busy doctor refuses to see them.  Being a good self-advocate, Dorothy admonishes him on his attitude towards those who are in desperate need of his services.  

With help and support and counseling from her social worker, Dorothy finally returns home where she proclaims, "There’s No Place Like Home", a particularly meaningful comment for those who seek community and home based services following a traumatic brain injury instead of being forced to being confined in a long term nursing home or similar type of facility.

The Wizard of Oz has inspired many family members and persons who have sustained brain injuries that a meaningful life after a traumatic brain injury is possible.

So, we're off to see the Wizard!  More to come in the days ahead.

Preventing Infections in Brain Surgery

The Brain Trauma Foundation has announced that their next interactive, web based lecture will cover the important topic of Infection Prophylaxis in severe head injury cases undergoing brain surgery.

The web based lecture will be held on September 23, 2009 from 12:00-1:00 PM EDT.

Lecture Description: This lecture will discuss the latest guidelines on infection prophylaxis in head injury regarding external ventricular drains and nosocomial infections.  In addition, prophylaxis for open and basilar skull fractures will also be discussed
.
Learning Objectives: 

• Describe the reasons for infection prophylaxis in severe head injury patients focusing on the advantages and disadvantages.
• Understand the current recommendations for providing prophylaxis for external ventricular drainage in regard to antibiotic administration and catheter exchange
• Become familiar with the recommendations for prophylaxis in regard to preventing systemic nosocomial infections including those recommendations for antibiotic administration and early tracheostomy.
• Assess the literature in terms of prophylactic antibiotic use in basilar and open skull fractures.

Speaker: Jamie Ullman, MD, Director of Neurosurgery at Elmhurst Hospital Medical Center, Assistant Attending Neurosurgeon at Queens Hospital Center, and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Webinar Registration  click here .

International Brain Injury Association International Congress Preliminary Program Now Available

The preliminary program for the International Brain Injury Association’s Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury is now available for viewing on-line. The Congress will be held in Washington, DC, March 10-14, 2010. There will be over 100 world renowned experts in the field of brain injury presenting on a variety of topics across the continuum of care. You can view the program and get more conference information by clicking here. 

New York City Epilepsy Education Program

Traumatic brain injury and head injury are frequent causes of seizure disorders and epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Advocate Program will be offering a free program in New York to take place on October 6 at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers.  A reception is scheduled for 6 PM with the program beginning at 6:30 PM.

The Epilepsy Advocate program is designed to help you learn more about epilepsy and its’ treatment advancements.  The program  have two people living well with epilepsy sharing their personal stories followed by local neurologists who will be providing  an educational presentation on epilepsy. You will also have the opportunity to ask the neurologist or the Advocates any general questions you may have.

Call 1-866-865-7305 or visit  Epilepsy Advocate  to register in advance. For answers to questions about  accidents and seizure disorder and epilepsy visit the brain injury attorneys web site.

Abusive Head Trauma-Shaken Baby Syndrome Conference

A conference to explore head trauma and shaken baby syndrome as well as other head injuries caused by assaults on children has been announced by the office of the Queens District Attorney.

The head trauma conference is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 21, 2009 at the offices of the New York City Medical Examiner, 421 East 26th street from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The topics scheduled to  be covered include:

• Forensic controversies in abuse head trauma
• Neuropathology of lethal child abuse
• Non-accidental injury from the pediatric neurosurgical perspective
• Retinal hemorrhages and their relationship to shaken baby syndrome
• A view of fatal head injury from the standpoint of a forensic medical examiner

You can obtain more information on the conference by clicking here.