TBI Conferences

Presented by Brain Injury Services, Inc.,
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
and the National Resource Center for TBI

History

For more than a quarter century, service providers and researchers have gathered together in Williamsburg in June each year to learn about the problems facing persons with traumatic brain injury and their families. The annual Williamsburg Conference was originally established by Virginia Commonwealth University. In the past 5 years, the conference has grown to include other partners such as Brain Injury Services, Inc, and therefore, increasing the ability to reach both the academic community and direct services providers.

Empirically based, practical solutions to major problems after a brain injury in three core areas is emphasized: (1) community integration, life skills rehabilitation and long-term needs; (2) cognitive, behavioral, psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation; and (3) pediatric brain injury and academic reentry. The 2008 program featured presentations on veterans and combat related injuries. Over 200 professionals from all over the world attended last year. Continuing education credits are offered at each conference for professionals from a variety of disciplines.

In 2008, the Mitchell Rosenthal Memorial Lecture had its’ inaugural debut to honor the major contributions that Dr. Rosenthal made in the field of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Besides his enormous contributions to this field, he was one of the first organizers of the original Williamsburg Conference that continues today in increasing the knowledge of “promising practices in TBI Rehabilitation” to professionals from all over the United States and abroad. The lecturer for this Memorial Lecture is chosen based on their professional accomplishments and personal qualities. Last year, Dr. Roberta DePompei gave our first lecture.

In addition, in 2007 and 2008 with the increase of survivors of brain injury returning from the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the agenda has included prominent speakers from the military community and increased resources for military and civilian providers. Speakers have included prominent physicians and neuropsychologists from the McGuire VA Polytrauma Center located in Richmond, Virginia, and National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. This has increased the attendance of many of the organizations that are serving these veterans. In 2008, the conference increased its’ participants by over 50%.

Historic Williamsburg has been the site for over 25 years offering the largest outdoor living history museum in the country. More than 500 buildings stand in their 18^th Century form as well as many other attractions and taking you back to the revolutionary period in United States history.

Did you know that the First International Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference, Rehabilitation of the Traumatic Brain-Injured Adult, was held at the Richmond Hyatt House on June 2, 3 and 4, 1977? The conference was organized by Mitchell Rosenthal, Ph.D. as a joint effort between the Medical College of Virginia's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Neurosurgery, and Department of Continuing Medical Education. Keynote speakers included W. Bryan Jennett, M.D., Ernest Griffith, M.D., and J. Douglas Miller, M.D., Ph.D. Several years later, to accommodate the huge and growing audience, the conference was moved to Williamsburg, Virginia and renamed Rehabilitation of the Adult and Child with Brain Injury. The Williamsburg Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference has been held every year since 1977 and remains as the longest running brain injury rehabilitation conference. The June 2009 conference is our 32nd annual. To download a copy of the 1977 conference brochure click here.