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2017 Annual Conference - Keynote Presentations

Presentations and Downloads • Keynotes • Thursday Schedule • Friday Schedule
Directions and Accommodations •
Continuing Education Unit Information • Cancellation Policy
Online registration is now closed.
You may register in person at the Earle Brown Center on Thursday or Friday
or call us at 612-378-2742 or 800-669-6442 before Wednesday, April 19 at 12 p.m.

Both Thursday and Friday sessions of the 2017 Annual Conference for Professionals in Brain Injury will feature Keynote Addresses in the morning, as well as a closing Keynote Address in the afternoon.

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Thursday Morning Keynote Presentation:
Don't "Don't"®
Harvey E. Jacobs, PhD, CLCP

The changes in neurological, physical and cognitive capacity that occur following an injury clearly affect behavior; however, social, cultural, historical and environmental factors often have equal or greater influence. Often, the manner in which a person is regarded and treated, regardless of brain injury, can cause more problem behaviors than other more obvious factors. The settings in which people live and interact; the roles and functions of all people in a person's life (support circles); available supports; and the individual's participation in any services they use are all critical for success. Focusing on the "do" rather than the "don't" is critical for all parties. This keynote will identify key factors and promote a philosophy of positive supports to help all individuals succeed.

Harvey E. Jacobs, PhD, CLCP is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Life Care Planner. He graduated from Florida State University, was a post-doctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Mary Switzer Research Fellow at the National Institute of Handicapped Research. Dr. Jacobs has served multiple medical school faculties, hospitals, programs and facilities and has been principal investigator on multiple federal, state and private grants. He has lectured and published widely on rehabilitation for neurological, psychiatric, medical and intellectual impairments; life care planning; applied behavior analysis; and complex treatment issues across the life span. He serves on the national boards of the North American Brain Injury Society, the United States Brain Injury Alliance, the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation editorial board, and is one of 50 professionals helping The Brain Injury Association of America draft national guidelines for treatment of adults with traumatic brain injury.

Don't "Don't!"®is a registered trademark of Harvey Earl Jacobs, 2011. All rights reserved.

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Thursday Afternoon Plenary:
'Unmasking' Documentary and Panel Discussion with Sindibad O Dell, April Ildvad, Sue Newman, Brad Donaldson and Jed Schlegelmilch

Unmasking is a community-based project that promotes awareness about brain injury through mask displays made by people affected by brain injury. Combining therapy, art and advocacy, each mask presents an entirely unique perspective on life with brain injury and gives survivors, care givers and professionals a voice and the means to educate others of what it is like to live with brain injury. The documentary that accompanies this project shares the journey in traveling throughout the state of Minnesota and creating these masks. The documentary was recently selected as a Merit Award Winner at the 2016 Los Angeles Awareness Film Festival and was selected to be shown at the 2016 APHA Global Public Health Film Festival. Unmasking was also selected to be screened at the 2017 Mespies Film Festival at the Heights Theatre in Minneapolis at the end of March.

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Friday Morning Keynote Presentation:
Multimodal Assessment for Prospective Classification of Brain Injury
Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD, Hennepin County Medical Center

This keynote will discuss the complex nature of brain injury due to its mixed pathophysiology and the potential for trauma to other structures to mimic symptoms. It will further discuss how using multiple modalities for assessment of injury will enable better classification of injury leading to better treatment. The modalities discussed include eye tracking to assess physiologic brain function, serum markers to clarify which cell types may be injured and radiographic imaging.

Uzma Samadani, MD PhD is a neurosurgeon and brain injury researcher at Hennepin County Medical Center. She serves as the Rockswold Kaplan Endowed Chair for Traumatic Brain Injury at Hennepin County Medical Center and as an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota. She is also an attending neurosurgeon at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center. She is on the Executive Committee of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care and serves as Scientific Program Chair for their meeting in conjunction with the National Neurotrauma Society. She also serves on the board of ThinkFirst Foundation. She is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Her research on brain injury has been discussed in the New York Times, Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, and Minneapolis Star Tribune as well as numerous other media sources. She has been a speaker at TedMed, the North American Brain Injury Society, National Neurotrauma Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons meeting and multiple other conferences. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and an additional 40 reviews and chapters including the Journal of Neurotrauma, Journal of Neurosurgery and the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Samadani also serves as an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant to the National Football League.

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Friday Afternoon Plenary:
"In these Shoes"
Janine Petracek

"In These Shoes" is a personal story of being a health care professional providing care for TBI patients and years later learning she is not only a nurse but now the wife of a TBI survivor. Four years later she becomes the mother of a TBI survivor when her daughter born at 39 weeks had suffered a stroke in utero.

Janine's husband who sustained an acquired brain injury after a road trucking accident, was no longer the same person: he behaved differently, thought differently, and took on the world differently. And when one member of a family changes, the entire family changes. The person we once knew now acts or speak without all the information or without considering the consequences.

Janine will also share the story of the young beautiful Gina, who was her patient and close to Janine’s age and the story of a man she will call Jim and how their lives changed forever after sustaining a severe TBI.

Janine is the Director of Operations at Havelock Manor in Lincoln, Nebraska and the author of "In these shoes", a tribute to her husband and daughter. She is also a Licensed Practical Nurse and has a Bachelor's degree in Business administration working as a Nurse Administrator in Health Care.

Janine is passionate about sharing stories related to her husband who passed away in 2005, her daughter who died in 2013, some of her patients, and about how to be a caregiver who makes a connection with someone who has lost the ability to communicate with you. She believes we should stop putting limits and labels on abilities.

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Presentations and Downloads • Keynotes • Thursday Schedule • Friday Schedule
Directions and Accommodations •
Continuing Education Unit Information • Cancellation Policy
Online registration is now closed.
You may register in person at the Earle Brown Center on Thursday or Friday
or call us at 612-378-2742 or 800-669-6442 before Wednesday, April 19 at 12 p.m.