VCU to host traumatic brain injury workshops

By Leslie Nelson
University News Services

Virginia Commonwealth University will host two community education workshops on the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System of Care, designed to meet the needs of traumatic brain injury survivors and their families.

Traumatic brain injury refers to any injury or trauma to the brain, resulting from external force to the skull. TBI can cause loss of memory, vision, communication and mobility.

The workshops will take place Saturday, March 18, and Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They will be held at the Learning Center in Main Hospital on the MCV Campus, 1250 E. Marshall St.

Presented by VCU’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in collaboration with the Brain Injury Association of Virginia and the National Resource Center for TBI, the “Getting Better and Better after Brain Injury” workshops were developed to assist survivors and their family members as they struggle with post-injury challenges.

Featured topics for the March 18 workshop will include dating, romance and intimacy; evaluating and treating long-term medical issues; and long term recovery. Topics for the April 28 workshop will include how to build a positive self image and getting back to work.

The VCU Traumatic Brain Injury Model System of Care, or TBI MS, provides comprehensive, coordinated inpatient and outpatient care for individuals with TBI. The system includes emergency medical services, early intensive and acute medical care, comprehensive rehabilitation services and long-term rehabilitation follow-up.

Registration for the workshops is free. For more information, visit http://www.tbi.pmr.vcu.edu/ or call Jenny Marwitz at 828-3704.