Session Details

April 16, 2026

8:30 AM From Capitol Hill to Community Services: Federal Policy Impacts on Brain Injury Services | Zaida Ricker, MPS, NASHIA

This session will provide a practical overview of the federal policy landscape shaping brain injury programs, spanning foundational legislation like the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act to evolving Medicaid policies that directly influence service delivery, eligibility, and funding. Ricker will highlight how federal decisions translate into real-world impacts for state brain injury programs, providers, and people with lived experience. The session will also underscore why active engagement in policy matters, illustrating how input from states, advocates, and the brain injury community can influence federal priorities, guidance, and implementation. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of where policy is heading, what opportunities exist to shape it, and how informed engagement can help strengthen and sustain brain injury systems nationwide.

9:30 AM Traumatic Brain Injury is a Chronic Condition: Updates from the TBI Model Systems | Candace Tefertiller, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS, Executive Director of Research and Evaluation, Craig Hospital

Improving Balance and Mobility after TBI will provide an overview of evidence-based approaches to addressing balance and mobility impairments following traumatic brain injury (TBI), with a focus on current clinical practice guidelines and their application across the continuum of care. The presentation will highlight key recommendations from established guidelines, emphasizing assessment strategies, intervention intensity, task-specific training, and outcome measurement that support safe and effective rehabilitation.

The presentation will also explore emerging technologies and innovations, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, and neuromodulation, and discuss how these tools are being integrated into clinical practice to enhance balance and mobility outcomes. Emphasis will be placed on clinical translation, including practical considerations for implementation, patient selection, and alignment with real-world rehabilitation settings, with the goal of supporting clinicians in applying current evidence to optimize functional recovery after TBI.

10:45 AM Ethical Dimensions of TBIs | Ryan Pferdehirt, D. Bioethics, HED-C, Vice President of Ethics Services and Rosemary Flanigan Chair

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can have a challenging and profound difference of patients. Recovery can be longer and more complicated than patients and family can anticipate. This presentation will discuss the ethical challenges that TBIs present, from patient autonomy and goals of care complications, to challenging discharge locations, and how aspects of “self” and “personhood” can further complicate decisions going forward. This presentation will utilize case studies and philosophical rationality to clarify the moral issues surrounding TBIs and brain injuries and how providers can best support patients.

10:45 AM Driving After Brain Injury | Annette Maggard Lewer, MOT, OTR/L, CDRS, Driving Program Coordinator, Ability KC

The presentation will provide information to help participants gain an understanding of how brain injuries may impact the skills necessary for fitness to drive. The key components involved in a driving evaluation, and who may be appropriate for a referral following the injury, will also be addressed. Additionally, the information will include exposure to adaptive equipment options that may assist those retuning to drive, who have experienced physical impairments.

10:45 AM Access Reimagined: Alternative Access for Communication, Learning, Working, and Everyday Life | Abby Azeltine, PhD., Director of Assistive Technology for Kansans

This session provides an overview of alternative access methods for individuals with brain injury, including switches, eye gaze, head tracking, alternative keyboards, and voice access. Emphasis is placed on motor, cognitive, and fatigue considerations, person-centered access selection, and the need for flexible, adjustable solutions that support communication, education, work, and daily living.

10:45 AM When All My Therapy Tools Aren’t Working | Eric Hansen, LSCSW, LMAC, Adjunct Professor at Fort Hays State University.

This presentation will explore the use of clinical skill use in the context of traumatic brain injury, including assessment, treatment, and resources.

1:00 PM Brain Injury Effects on School-Age Students and Impact on Learning |Nicholas Guess, OTD, OTR/L, Licensed Occupational Therapist and Kelli Pope, BS Education Liaison, Ability KC

This presentation covers impacts of a brain injury on skills required to be successful in a school setting, as well as the transition back to school after experiencing a brain injury. We will discuss modifications and recommendations for success in the school setting and the timeline between hospitalization and school re-entry.

2:00 PM Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Improving Upper Motor Function After Brain Injury |Stephanie Kolakowsky-Hayner, PhD, CBIST, FACRM, Neuroscience Research Director at Saint Luke’s

Stroke, a type of acquired brain injury, is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, and upper limb motor deficits are among the most common and impactful consequences for survivors. These deficits can significantly impair a person’s ability to perform daily activities, affecting independence, quality of life, and participation in social and occupational roles.

3:15 PM Seeds of Growth: Life After Brain Injury | Dr. Cherryl Ann Clark, D.D., Author, Prolific Speaker, Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter, and National Recording Artist

Dr. Cherryl Ann Clark will speak on long-term adaptation, identity reconstruction, and resilience following traumatic brain injury, drawing from both lived experience and decades of survivor-and caregiver-focused education. After sustaining a stroke and traumatic brain injury in 1993, Dr. Clark underwent five years of intensive neurological rehabilitation, relearning cognitive, emotional, and functional skills essential for daily living. Her presentation addresses the often-overlooked psychosocial realities of brain injury, including invisible impairments, emotional regulation challenges, memory disruption, and the permanent shift in personal identity that frequently follows TBI. Dr. Clark emphasizes that recovery is not a return to the “old self,” but a process of adapting to a new self—an understanding that is critical for survivors, families, and caregivers alike.

April 17, 2026

8:30 AM Gary Berger Memorial Lecture – Marriage, Family and TBI: Moving Forward Together | Leif Leaf, PhD., Clinical Neuropsychologist

This session will discuss the impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on marriage and family relationships. We will explore roles, relationships and concerns at various stages of recovery. Participants will come away with an overall view of issues along the continuum of recovery and practical strategies to support growth and adjustment.

9:30 AM State-Level Support for Brain Injury Recovery in Kansas | Laura Howard, Secretary for Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and Kansas Department for Children and Families

Secretary Howard will provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of brain injury services and state-funded initiatives within Kansas. As the leader of KDADS, Secretary Howard will discuss the critical intersection of policy, community-based services, and the specific needs of the brain injury community.

10:45 AM What’s New in TBI 2026? | Brad Steinle, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine

Will review latest rehabilitation research for TBI.

12:15 PM Let It Begin With Me| Emily Ptacek, Brain Injury Survivor

Emily will share about her life before her accident and how she has had to adapt and change her own views on personal value while still helping others along the way.

1:00 PM The Journey After Trauma: Why Connection Matters in TBI Recovery | Annie Buckland, RN, Violence and Injury Prevention Coordinator and Trauma Survivor Network Coordinator

This presentation highlights the critical role of connection in long-term recovery for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Designed for professionals and community members who support brain-injured individuals, it explores how the Trauma Survivor Network bridges the gap between acute care and lifelong recovery by connecting patients and families to peer support, education, and community resources. Attendees will gain insight into the ongoing challenges faced after discharge and practical ways to integrate survivor- and family-centered support into their work.

1:00 PM Responsible AI in Brain Injury Care: Practical Uses, Risks, and Safeguards | Dr. Imran Musaji, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wichita State University; Director Computer-Mediated Communication Lab

Artificial intelligence is quickly finding its way into clinical workflows. However, in brain injury care, “innovative” must be weighed against outcomes. This session attempts to avoid hype and to focus on practical, responsible AI uses that can support individuals living with brain injury across rehab and community-based settings. We’ll review where AI can add value today and how to judge whether a tool is truly ready for real-world practice.

1:00 PM Inpatient Rehabilitation of the Pediatric Brain Injury: Interventions and Education for Improved Outcomes after Discharge | Elizabeth Pierce, DPT, Physical Therapist; Quincey Carroll, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist

This presentation seeks to provide insight into treating the pediatric brain injury patient population by exploring the Children’s Mercy Hospital’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Program. Focus will be placed on therapy interventions, including a detailed discussion of dry needling, caregiver education and inclusion in treatment sessions, and discharge planning.

Just as important, we’ll examine the risks and safeguards that matter for this population: accuracy and hallucinations, bias and inequitable outcomes, privacy and consent, cognitive accessibility, overreliance, and clinician accountability. Participants will leave with a clear framework and a set of “critical questions” to evaluate AI tools, plus concrete strategies for integrating AI in ways that protect patient safety, dignity, and trust—no technical background required.

1:00 PM Who Speaks for Me? Understanding Powers of Attorney, Guardianship, and Alternatives: A Practical Overview of Authority, Rights Retained or Lost, and Common Crisis Mistakes | Samantha L. Shepherd, JD, LLM, CELA is the founder and Managing Attorney of Shepherd Elder Law Group

This practical and empowering presentation is designed for individuals living with brain injury, their families, and caregivers. When communication or decision-making becomes difficult, critical questions arise: Who has the authority to act? What rights are retained/lost? And what happens in a crisis when no plan is in place? This presentation breaks down complex legal concepts into clear, understandable guidance, with a focus on preserving dignity, autonomy, and voice.

2:15 PM The Rights of Disabled Persons in the Workplace under the American’s with Disabilities Act and Where to Go for Assistance | Anne Gusewelle, JD, ADR Mediator, US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission

The presentation will provide an overview of the rights disabled persons under the Americans with Disabilities Act to be free from discrimination based on disability and to have disabilities reasonably accommodated in the workplace. It will cover common missteps made by employers and employees when navigating these issues and resources available for addressing problems.