BIA of Illinois Annual Educational Conference - October 22-23, 2010

The Brain Injury Association of Illinois annual educational conference has a variety of topics and presenters that will be of interest to everyone. Our keynote presenters include: Dr. Valerie Nowinski (Neuropsychology Diagnostic Center), Dr. Jeri Morris (Northwestern University), Dr. Robert Kohn (University of Illinois - Chicago), Dr. James Young (Rush University Medical Center), and Mr. Chris Nowinski (Sports Legacy Institute). Additional presenters include: Stacy Yusim (Equip for Equality), Dr. Patrick McGrath (Alexian Bros Behavioral Health Hospital), Dr. Allan Kozlowski (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), Diana Nawrocki (Triton College), Dr. Roy Adair (Advocate Christ Medical Center), Guy Geleerd (Geleerd Law Group), Dr. James Cohn (Lakeview Specialty Hospital and Rehabilitation), Ginny Lazzara (Nolan Law Group), Dr. Patrick Walsh (Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital), Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth (Midwest Center for Concussion Care), Dr. Theresa Pape (Dept of Veterans Affairs - Hines VA Hospital), and Bill Baumann (NeuroRestorative).


Some of the topics to be addressed include: Brain Injury's Impact on the Individual & Family, Social & Therapeutic Relationships following Brain Injury, Mild Brain Injury: Treatment & Diagnosis, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sports Concussions, Advance Directives, Anxiety & Stress Management, Brain Injury Research, Functional Range of Motion, Spasticity, Preparation for Being a Witness in Court, Agitation following Brain Injury, Being Safe to Return to Play, NeuroPlasticity of the Brain, and Returning to Work. The Friday morning Pool session, Functional Range of Motion in the Pool, is open to all conference attendees. Pre-registration is required for this session. Participants can participate in the pool, or sit on the deck and listen to the session.

One of the BIA of Illinois' new programs, The Essentials, is for individuals who have sustained a brain injury. There are 3 tracks involved in this program. One of the tracks will be presented during the conference by Ginny Lazzara. The session will address social skills and appearance. The Friday afternoon session, "The Essentials: Expressing Yourself / Creating Your Look" is open only to individuals who have sustained a brain injury. We have been able to develop this program because of our partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on the Midwest Regional TBI Model System (MRTBIMS) grant. This grant was awarded to RIC by the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

The Saturday morning session of the conference will also include a "mini sports clinic" session. This clinic will address identifying and diagnosing sports concussions, assessing when it is safe to return to play, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and addressing the public's view of concussions. This clinic is being sponsored by Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, and will allow us to invite coaches/athletic trainers/athletes to this component of the conference.


The conference is open to the public. The conference registration form and additional information can be found at http://www.biail.org/. The price to attend the conference has not changed this year, and the hotel rooms are at a lower rate. Conference room rates are available at the two adjacent hotels, Hilton Suites and Hilton Garden Inn.

There are a variety of exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities available for this conference.The Exhibitor/Sponsor form and information can be found at the BIA website, http://www.biail.org/. Call the office for additional information, (800)699-6443, or e-mail info@biail.org

BIA of Illinois 16th Annual Golf Outing and Dinner

Make plans today to join the BIA of Illinois at the Highland Park Country Club on Thursday, June 17, 2010. This is our 16th annual golf outing and dinner. The event benefits the programs and services provided by the Brain Injury Association of Illinois. Bob Love of the Chicago Bulls and Pam Farley will be the hosts of this year's outing, and both will be joining golfers on the course for a fun afternoon of golf.

The Registration and Lunchtime Grill begins at 11:30am, and the Shot Gun Start is at 1pm.
Following golf, join us in the clubhouse at 5:30pm for a Cash Bar, Silent Auction and Awards Dinner.

Golf tickets are $175, and a ticket includes lunch, golf and dinner. If you aren't able to golf with us, make plans to purchase a dinner ticket for $65. There are many sponsorship opportunities available for this event. Please visit the website to purchase your tickets and sponsorships online, http://www.biail.org/. Please contact the office at info@biail.org or 800.699.6443 if you would like additional information.

The Brain Injury Association of Illinois is a statewide non-profit organization providing services and programs for children and adults who have sustained an acquired brain injury. Some of the BIA of Illinois services/programs include: providing information and resources, nationwide toll-free phone line, websites, annual educational conference, educational programs and training, camp program, public awareness, injury prevention, advocacy and support groups. The mission of the Brain Injury Association of Illinois is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, education, advocacy and research.

For more information on the Brain Injury Association of Illinois, contact the office at 800.699.6443, send e-mail to info@biail.org.