1.5 Million TBI's at $48.3B Per Year

Marty Salo reached out to me around a year ago and asked if I'd be willing to post an article for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) awareness.

We spent the next 12 months researching service member TBI's and it's impact across all branches of service. Marty facilitates the Facebook group "TBI Survivors Successes." The group focuses on positive solutions to a very negative problem. Marty frequently describes Isolation as one of TBI's most under recognized and most devastating effects. Marty's discusses his background and his motivations behind TBI advocacy below.

"I am a Brain Injury survivor. When I was 11, I was hit by a car. Comatose and hospitalized for 49 days. I want to see more being done with technology, iPads and brain injury survivors. Wireless networking has done wonders for nurses, doctors and hospitals. Sometimes the brain injury survivor's memories aren't quite what they were. Having a device with a camera is important. I wish my ability to associate names with faces and recall back stories were better, but it is what it is. I have looked back on some pictures taken at a conference in DC from 2016, and I realize that it would have been good if I had taken more pictures of people. I like meeting people, I like hearing from them, what they have been through.

Oh, before I go too far, I have a Master's Degree in Library Science, and have been working with computers for a VA Hospital for twenty plus years. The State of Florida through the department of Vocational Rehabilitation decided it was better to have a trained person than the alternative. So I went through the Junior College system, then to FSU for undergraduate, and on to a graduate degree in Library Science.

As a Brain Injury Survivor, I wasn't thrilled with the satisfaction with life survey (SLS), that I have been administered a few times, I would like to see a question or two added about assessment of current level of happiness. It could be called the Marty Happiness Scale (MHS). But it's not necessary that it bear my name. I think people can do better when they know more. 

Social media and outreach are also big components of what I'd like to see be more developed. There appears to be more potential in this area. Having a way to get people interacting is important. When the four walls of the hospital room is your experience, having the opportunity to interact with others is important."

Through understanding, research and improved policy, every conversation benefits those effected by TBI.

Please add to the TBI conversation and leave your comments, recommendations and suggestions below. We thank you in advance!

Written by Marty Salo and Jonathon Guyer

Jonathon Guyer, PMP, CSSBB is an award winning international speaker and project manager with multiple publications discussing patient experience. Jonathon accepted 2017 FedHealthIt Innovation Award for Patient Centered creation of St Cloud VA “Health Hub.” Health Hub provides Veterans and Clinicians one location with promotional material and contacts for all VA programs. As Veteran Health Information Exchange (VHIE) Coordinator, Jonathon also, implemented the nation’s Top preforming VHIE site for Veteran authorizations, Community Provider Adoption and Direct Secure Messages.