Brain Injury Association of America and United States Brain Injury Alliance Agree to Reunite Under BIAA Banner
September 11, 2024
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and United States Brain Injury Alliance (USBIA) agreed yesterday to reunite to better serve the brain injury community as one unified organization under the Brain Injury Association of America. The USBIA Board of Trustees voted unanimously on September 10, 2024 to start the process of dissolving the organization.
“We are excited to unite and speak with a single voice in order to better serve the brain injury community,” said Rick Willis, President and CEO, BIAA. “As a unified organization, we will leverage our collective influence to change public perceptions of brain injury and affect policy.”
“We have been working hard over the past two years to get to the point where we believe it is time to become one national organization again,” said Gavin Attwood, CEO of USBIA. “This decision will mean that most of the USBIA state-level affiliates will be joining the Brain Injury Association of America, forming the nation’s largest network of direct support and advocacy for people with brain injury across the US.”
This decision marks an important milestone for the brain injury community that promises deeper impact for brain injury survivors and their loved ones by:
- Aligning around a shared vision: Driving toward common objectives builds momentum and enables a scalable movement to advance prevention, awareness, research, treatment, education and advocacy.
- Speaking with one voice: Standing together we leverage our collective influence to change public perceptions of brain injury and affect policy.
- Elevating shared learnings: Working hand-in-hand, we foster stronger connections and communication so we can learn from one another and improve our overall effectiveness.
Survivors, caregivers, healthcare providers, donors, and supporters will continue partnering with their local state affiliates on a day-to-day basis. As part of a new, unified national brain injury network, they may also expect to receive added resources and support, information about educational opportunities, invitations to gather with the community at events and conferences, and alerts and communications to keep them informed of important progress and developments.
The addition of USBIA Affiliates to BIAA will take place based on the unique circumstances and planning needs of each individual Affiliate.
About the Brain Injury Association of America
As the voice of brain injury, we improve the quality of life of people affected by brain injury across their lifespan through advancing prevention, awareness, research, treatment, education, and advocacy. Through our education and research programs, we have certified 6,834 brain injury professionals and awarded more than $300,000 to 21 individuals working to find cures for chronic brain injury. Through our awareness efforts, we reached more than 835,000 people in 2023, and this year, more than 300 advocates from 38 states joined BIAA, USBIA and NASHIA on Capitol Hill on Brain Injury Awareness Day to meet with 215 state representatives and senators to advocate for more services, research, and funding for brain injury.