Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council

Welcome to the home page for the Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council.

On February 2, 2005 the Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council was transferred by Executive Order of the Governor from the Office of Administration to the Department of Health and Senior Services. The Council will provide advice to the Department of Health and Senior Services on issues related to traumatic brain injury.

Gov. Blunt Proclaims March Brain Injury Awareness Month
Monday, March 17, 2008

           JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt issued a proclamation declaring March as Brain Injury Awareness Month to recognize the impact of traumatic brain injury across the nation and in Missouri.
           “A traumatic brain injury can instantly and dramatically change a person’s life,” Gov. Blunt said. “Public awareness is vital to prevention as well as understanding the often life-long impact for those who have experienced this kind of injury.”
           Although a brain injury occurs every 23 seconds in the United States, the condition is often called the silent epidemic because many people are unaware of the impact it has on those who are injured and their families. Every year, more than 14,000 people in Missouri are taken to an emergency room or hospital with a traumatic brain injury. The actual number of people sustaining this type of injury is unknown because many do not seek treatment. Approximately 1,300 Missourians die each year as a result of a brain injury.
           Traumatic brain injury is caused by a blow, jolt or other type of injury to the head that disrupts the function of the brain. Injuries to the brain most often occur as a result of motor vehicle crashes, falls, sports injuries, violence and exposure to blasts.
           The effects of an injury to the brain can range from mild to severe and impact a person’s thinking, reasoning, memory, speech, physical activity, seeing, hearing, learning and other abilities. These conditions can be temporary or permanent. Advanced medical treatment and new technology have enabled more people to survive a traumatic brain injury.
           “No two brain injuries are alike because an injury can affect different areas of the brain in different ways,” said Lori Brenneke, manager of the Adult Head Injury Program at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. “As a result, a range of services that can meet an individual’s changing needs over a period of time is necessary.”
           For more information about traumatic brain injury in Missouri, visit the Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council Web site at www.dhss.mo.gov/HIA-Council. For information about brain injury support groups throughout the state, contact the Brain Injury Association of Missouri at: http://www.biamo.org/ or 800-377-6442.

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Tom Martin, Missouri Rehabilitation Center and President of Brain Injury Association of Missouri; Lori Brenneke, Program Manager, Adult Head Injury Program; Scott Gee, Brain Injury Association of Missouri; Deloris Hubner, Adult Head Injury Program; Tim Imhoff, relative of a person with a brain injury and Chair of the Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council; Linda Pace, Adult Head Injury Program; Governor Matt Blunt; Andrea Buening, IL Special Projects Coordinator and Brain Injury Advocate, member of Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council; Rachel Lasley, Adult Head Injury Service Coordinator, Adult Head Injury Program; Gary Harbison, Chief, Bureau of Special Health Care Needs; Donna Gunning, Center for Head Injury Services; Lisa Crandall, Associate Bureau Chief, Bureau of Special Health Care Needs