$1.5M to Expand TBI Resources

The Institute for Digital Health & Innovation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) https://www.uams.edu received grant funding for a $1.5 million project to enhance clinical and educational resources for people living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Annual funding for $200,000 plus the Arkansas Department of Health https://www.healthyarkansas.gov will contribute an additional $100,000 to the grant each year.

The Administration for Community Living https://acl.gov within HHS, awarded the five year grant to expand the impact of TBI programs, including the TBI State Partnership Program and the Trauma Rehabilitation Resources Program (TRRP), that are both housed at the UAMS Institute.

The grant aims to add expert case management and new screening tools to better assess the individual needs of TBI survivors and help them re-enter the workforce and increase their input into the community. The grant will also expand the TBI registry to include persons with mild TBI. Previously, the registry only tracked Arkansans with moderate to severe TBI.

Also, the TBI programs at UAMS will implement a Return-to-Learn Initiative to train education professionals in the state’s public school system. The statewide program will work with school nurses, psychologist, and therapists to enhance recognition and intervention for children living with TBI.

Digital health tools have allowed UAMS and our stakeholders to better serve Arkansas communities and provide quality healthcare throughout the state,” said Institute Director Joseph Sanford, MD. “As our teams increase access to specialists and resources through digital health, we can enhance services that community members need in every part of the state.”