NotesSenator Michael Crapo

This day belonged to Brenna Deshawn Dowd. In her honor, I spoke to her senator. Together, we can and will make a difference in how people with a brain injury are treated. One step at a time. One moment at a time.

 

This was a successful  day with Senator Crapo. The 15 minutes were well spent. Between his staff in Boise and the Taskmaster, my presentation was clear, concise, and impressed the Senator. This is a first step. He is supportive of the recommendations and willing to work with me on making changes. He was pleased to see that one of my recommendations regarded HBOT. This is something he is familiar with and, when he saw that was on my short list, he smiled. 

PAMELA DOWD NOTES FOR MEETING WITH SENATOR CRAPO

NOVEMBER 14, 2012 

NATIONAL RECITATION OF IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT TBI

Each year, 1.7 million people face a traumatic brain injury,  and the numbers of hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries are uncounted.  On average three TBIs occur each minute. As a comparative number, 226,870 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States in 2012. TBI incidents are 7 times higher than breast cancer.

Besides the human impact there is a staggering economic impact. Nationally, the estimated costs in medical care and loss of productivity is $76 billion annually. For Idaho, the average 19,000 TBI new patients annually translates to approximately one half billion dollars in medical costs and lost productivity to its citizens.

Let me take a moment to help you understand the major causes of TBIs.

The leading causes of TBI are:
     • Falls (35%)
     • Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (17%)
     • Struck by/against events (16%)
     • Assaults (10%)

As I outlined in the letter I gave you in Boise on August 20^th.I am a mom on a mission to learn all I can about other families and medical professionals and their experience with TBIs.

I left Idaho on September 22 in my 20 year old motorhome. To date, I have traveled 3983 Miles, covering 11 states, 7 1/2 weeks on a self-funded trip.

CONTINUATION OF TRIP (MILES AND DURATION)After leaving Washington, DC, I have 4112 miles to go, crossing 13 states, visiting families and patients in five states, and one wheelchair manufacturer.

I have visited five TBI facilities in Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan (2), and Indiana.

The five facility’s I have visited, to date, range in size from 45 beds to 110 and provide outpatient and inpatient therapies.

These facilities ran the gamut from non-profit to for-profit.

Of the five brain injury rehab facilities I visited, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, NE was the most inspiring.

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is state of the art, accepting patients from 30 states and works with any state Medicaid that will work with them. Everything in the facility is geared toward returning the patient to a home environment, where families are an integral part of the recovery process.

Not only does Madonna Rehab work with TBI patients, they provide rehabilitation services for those who suffer hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries. The staff is complete with dentists, neuropsychologist and neuro-ophthalmologists, and counselors to assist families with each step of recovery.

Recommendations  

1. Support reauthorization of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act, H.R. 4238. The act requests $37 million dollars for projects. I respectfully request that in this process, a portion of the funds granted be focused on hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)as part of the protocol for hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries.

2. Request that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services revisit the rules on Medicare regulations regarding length of time allowed for rehabilitation and recovery of persons who suffer a brain injury.

Senator, it is apparent that TBIs are part of a not so hidden modern American epidemic.

3. I urge that you consider forming a study committee of TBI health care experts, affected groups and organizations that have shown an interest in reducing the impact of TBIs on their business or industry (such as the NFL and NASCAR) and brain injury patients and their families. This public/private committee should look at reducing the number of TBIs occurring in the US and also offer solutions to improving the diagnosis and treatment of all brain injuries.

I make this recommendation because of what appears to be a lack of coordination of resources and research, and communication amongst the brain injury constituencies.

Such an effort will also bring greatly needed attention to this issue and should be a part of the larger discussion of the necessity of cooperation between business, industry and the medical community.