PRINTER'S NO. 1565

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

284

Session of

2018

INTRODUCED BY SCHWANK, DINNIMAN, SABATINA, McGARRIGLE, FONTANA,

FARNESE, BAKER, KILLION, EICHELBERGER, ARGALL, GREENLEAF,

HUGHES, BARTOLOTTA, BREWSTER, BROWNE, RESCHENTHALER, FOLMER,

WHEREAS, Brain injury involves the death or injury of brain

cells and the disruption of neural pathways, resulting in

changes in the way an individual thinks, feels and acts; and

WHEREAS, Acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the

brain from trauma, stroke, aneurysms, postsurgical complications

and certain acquired disease processes; and

WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a subclassification

of ABI caused by a direct blow to the head, the head hitting an

object or the head being shaken violently; and

WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHEREAS, An average of approximately 2.5 million children and

adults suffer TBIs in the United States each year, which results

in approximately 2.2 million emergency department visits and

280,000 hospital admissions; and

WHEREAS, On average, 137 individuals in the United States die

from TBI-related injuries daily and 50,000 Americans die

annually; and

WHEREAS, An estimated 5.3 million Americans live with TBI-

related disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Annually in this Commonwealth:

lifelong disabilities due to brain injury.

injury;

and

WHEREAS, More than 245,600 Pennsylvanians are living with

brain injury; and

WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has a number of 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

strong focus on brain injury include the Brain Injury

Association of Pennsylvania, the Acquired Brain Injury Network

of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Brain Injury Coalition,

Disability Rights Pennsylvania and the Rehabilitation and

Community Providers Association; and

WHEREAS, The Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board within the

Department of Health is committed to expanding public knowledge

regarding TBI as well as improving coordination and integration

among existing service delivery systems; and

WHEREAS, Additional programs within this Commonwealth that

students who have sustained an ABI and provides consultation

through the students' school districts until graduation;

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of March 2018

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; the

Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association, 777 East