From My Desk

Greetings,

We know that brain injuries can happen to anyone, at any time. They don’t discriminate. But the fact of the matter is, there are certain populations that are at a greater risk of brain injury – and of poorer long-term outcomes. This issue of THE Challenge! examines many of these groups, including military service members and veterans, people living in rural areas of the country, and racial and ethnic minorities.

These health disparities in brain injury risks and outcomes are just one reason why the Brain Injury Association of America is leading the charge in calling for a Brain Injury National Action Plan. The current state of brain injury is fragmented, inconsistent, and leaves many survivors behind. In the United States, there are no national standards for brain injury. Proven treatments like cognitive rehab and care coordination aren’t always covered by insurance, leaving thousands of survivors without follow-up care, a recovery plan, or support. And unequal access to care often leaves older adults, veterans, rural communities, and survivors of intimate partner violence facing some of the biggest barriers to care.

Earlier this year, we launched the Brain Injury Action Coalition, a new convening of experts with the goal of identifying and prioritizing the most promising solutions and approaches to accelerating advancements in brain injury treatment and prevention. This coalition was formed in response to the challenges we’re currently facing within the brain injury community. In addition to the health disparities we see among brain injury survivors, we’re also facing insufficient federal funding for brain injury programs and research, a lack of FDA-approved TBI therapeutics or diagnostics, and coordination challenges among federal agencies involved in brain injury.

The Brain Injury Action Coalition is prioritizing the adoption of our National Action Plan, and we are hopeful that its efforts will help to reduce these health disparities among the groups that are most at risk of adverse outcomes as a result of their brain injury. As we look ahead to our 2026 National Brain Injury Conference and Awareness Day, we hope that those of you who feel as strongly as we do about ensuring that everyone in the U.S. who sustains a brain injury is recognized, treated, and accepted will join our efforts to make the care and lives of brain injury survivors a national priority.

Sincerely,

Rick Willis

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