"One in four people in their lifetime will sustain a brain injury of some sort." 

Nichole Shotwell, President and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), joins Tom Judd on Diving Deeper to explore how the causes of brain injury are far more common than most people realize—from concussions and strokes to car crashes and falls—and why we often don't connect these experiences as part of the same condition.

Nichole shares her journey from harp performance major to social worker to leading a statewide advocacy organization celebrating its 45th year. She talks about the broad scope of work BIAMI does, including helping individual survivors navigate food insecurity, transportation, and access to care, while simultaneously advocating in Washington, D.C., for a national brain injury action plan and reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act.

Tom and Nichole also discuss BIAMI's upcoming Legacy Society dinner honoring Tammy Hannah and Erica Coulston, the viral Magnum P.I. Day at Comerica Park (featuring 900 people in aloha shirts and fake mustaches), and why more social workers need to know about brain injury.

Brain Injury Association of Michigan

Spring Tribute Legacy Society Dinner

Thank you to BlackRocks Group for sponsoring today’s episode.

Led by Bill Buccalo, BlackRocks’ mission is to provide business owners and leaders with impactful strategic and financially-focused consultation. Through the development of strong relationships and deep understanding of client businesses, BlackRocks Group serves as a trusted advisor supporting growth and value creation. 

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"I'm a little speechless...right now I'm just trying to take it all in." Erica Coulston, the president & co-owner of Walk The Line Recovery Therapy, chats with Tom Judd in this episode of Diving Deeper. 

Erica will soon be inducted into the Brain Injury Association of Michigan's Legacy Society, and she talks about how it feels to join an incredible roster of inductees who have paved the way to recovery for auto crash survivors in Michigan. Erica looks back at her journey from being, as she describes it, a "23-year-old hippie activist that was injured in a car accident" to becoming a passionate advocate and rehabilitation clinic owner. 

On the technology front, Erica tells Tom about an innovative external spinal cord stimulator that she's excited about. ARC-EX, from Swiss company Onward, is a recovery-based tool designed to improve hand sensation and strength.

Walk The Line Recovery Therapy 

ARC-EX 

Thank you to Capital Insurance Services for sponsoring this episode. 

Capital Insurance Services offers a comprehensive range of business and personal insurance products and services, with a primary focus on medical professional liability.  

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“Advocacy matters. Believing in somebody matters.” Tammy Hannah, the president and CEO of Origami Rehabilitation, joins Tom Judd in the inaugural episode of Diving Deeper. 

She recounts lessons learned from one particular client who had suffered a severe brain injury and wanted to work toward getting a driver's license. Tammy reflects on her first teacher in resilience, and she shares her why -- the inspirational reason she studied to become an occupational therapist. 

Tom talks about Tammy's upcoming induction into the Brain Injury Association of Michigan's Legacy Society and her Community Service and Leadership Award, and he asks Tammy to look ahead to the challenges that providers in the brain injury field will face in years to come. 

Origami Rehabilitation 

Spring Tribute Legacy Society Dinner

Thank you to Risk Strategies for sponsoring this episode.

Risk Strategies was founded in 1997 on the premise that an insurance brokerage could be more – a trusted risk management advisor and partner where a focus on employees and client needs would create value and success.   

Follow this podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and help the #WeAreMBIPC community by sharing Diving Deeper with your network: www.mbipc.org/divingdeeper 

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