PRINTER'S NO. 561
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
38
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, DINNIMAN, WOZNIAK, HAYWOOD, BAKER,
TEPLITZ, EICHELBERGER, KITCHEN, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA,
FARNESE, ALLOWAY, PILEGGI, BREWSTER, HUTCHINSON, COSTA, YAW
AND SMITH, MARCH 2, 2015
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MARCH 2, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of March 2015 as "Brain Injury Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Brain injury refers to the death or injury of brain
cells and the disruption of neural pathways resulting in changes
in the way a person thinks, feels and acts; and
WHEREAS, Acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain
secondary to trauma, stroke, postsurgical complications,
aneurysm, high fever, infection, near drowning, near
suffocation, near electrocution, poisoning and other conditions
which interfere with delivery of blood or oxygen to the brain;
and
WHEREAS, More than 3.3 million Americans sustain an acquired
brain injury, including stroke, annually; and
WHEREAS, Brain injury due to trauma may be caused by a direct
blow to the head or being shaken violently and may be caused by
falls, motor vehicle crashes, bicycle accidents, sports and
recreation injuries, shaken baby syndrome, gunshot wounds and
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
assaults; and
WHEREAS, The signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury can
be subtle and may not appear until days or weeks after the
injury or may even be missed; and
WHEREAS, Mild traumatic brain injury is often underdiagnosed
or misdiagnosed, with symptoms not always immediately apparent;
and
WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of
disability and death in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The cost of treating, rehabilitating and caring for
the victims of traumatic brain injury in the United States is
approximately $76.5 billion each year; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that approximately 60% of the adult
offender population in United States prisons and jails has had
an event that could cause a traumatic brain injury; and
WHEREAS, The number of emergency room visits for traumatic
brain injury from sports-related and recreation-related
activities increased significantly from 153,375 to 248,418 over
the period of 2001 to 2009; and
WHEREAS, Nationally, children and youth 5 to 19 years of age
accounted for approximately 380,000 traumatic brain injury-
related emergency room visits; and
WHEREAS, More than 215,000 Pennsylvanians are living with a
long-term disability resulting from traumatic brain injury; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 90,000 Pennsylvanians are treated and
released from emergency rooms for traumatic brain injury
annually; and
WHEREAS, More than 32,000 Pennsylvania children under 21
years of age have a medical history that includes a
hospitalization for traumatic brain injury; and
20150SR0038PN0561 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
WHEREAS, Brain injury is the signature injury of those
military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has a number of the leading
research centers for brain injury, including the Penn Center for
Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania, the
Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, the Brain Trauma
Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh and the Center
for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Three organizations in this Commonwealth
specifically devoted to brain injury include the Brain Injury
Association of Pennsylvania, Inc., the Acquired Brain Injury
Network of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Brain Injury
Coalition, and two organizations with a strong focus on brain
injury include the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania and
the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has agencies with a specific focus
on brain injury, including the Department of Health Traumatic
Brain Injury Advisory Board; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has several government programs
that administer specialized brain injury rehabilitation and
community support programs, including the Department of Health
Head Injury Program and the Office of Long-Term Living CommCare
Waiver program; and
WHEREAS, The best approach to the silent epidemic of brain
injury is to promote the awareness, prevention and treatment of
brain injuries; and
WHEREAS, Brain injury prevention and access to necessary
treatment and services can be promoted through community
education and a public awareness campaign; therefore be it
20150SR0038PN0561 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of March 2015
as "Brain Injury Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania, Inc., 950 Walnut
Bottom Road, Suite 15-229, Carlisle, PA 17015; to the Disability
Rights Network of Pennsylvania, 1414 North Cameron Street, Suite
C, Harrisburg, PA 17103; to the Acquired Brain Injury Network of
Pennsylvania, 2275 Glenview Drive, Lansdale, PA 19446; and to
the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association, 777 E.
Park Drive, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17111.
20150SR0038PN0561 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11