Statement of Brain Injury Association of America President/CEO Susan Connors Endorsing Public/Private Collaboration to Meet TBI Care Needs

The Brain Injury Association of America applauds CNN’s news segment, “Military Hospitals Under Fire” (Paula Zahn Now, March 21), as an accurate portrayal of the complexity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the urgent need and demonstrable value of specialized TBI treatment and rehabilitation among Iraq war veterans.

It is incumbent on the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to work cooperatively with qualified experts in the private sector to ensure that the ever-growing number of servicemen and women who sustain a TBI in the line of duty have immediate access to the full continuum of TBI services that includes:

• Acute and post-acute treatment and rehabilitation

• Specialized in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation

• Community-based information, resources and support

• Long term care

Traumatic brain injury is not only the signature injury of the Iraq war. Each year, 1.4 million children and adults sustain TBIs here at home. Failure to address this public health crisis right now will result in harmful delays in rehabilitating Iraq war heroes, a life-time of disability among Iraq war service members and civilians and needless tax-payer burden.

The Brain Injury Association of America calls on Congress and the Administration to ensure that the public and private sector work together for the good of our nation and all of its citizens.