Brain Injury Association Urges Creation of Permanent Acquired Brain Injury Advisory Board

Advocates urged the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities to create a permanent advisory board to coordinate services for residents with acquired brain injuries (ABI).

Kelly Buttilieri, public affairs manager for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, testified in support of Senate 134 and House 231, which would establish an acquired brain injury advisory board. She said thousands of Massachusetts residents sustain acquired brain injuries each year, from causes including stroke, infection, tumors, metabolic and toxic disorders, and trauma, and that prior state commissions documented service gaps.

Buttilieri recounted the history of the state's ABI efforts: an acquired Brain Injury Commission established in fiscal year 2011 produced recommendations used by survivors, families and providers; the commission was reestablished in FY 2019 but the work was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission recommended a permanent advisory board to continue making legislative recommendations and to guide implementation.

The proposed board would include state secretariat or agency representatives, legislators, individuals with acquired brain injury and family members, providers, clinicians and advocates. Buttilieri said the state would incur no cost for creating and maintaining the board and that the board would be "crucial to overseeing the implementation and recommendations of the ABI commission." She submitted the ABI commission report and a hospital/ED utilization report for fiscal years 2016-18 as part of her testimony.

No vote was taken; the witness asked the committee to report the bills favorably so the advisory board could be established.