Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana is proud to announce that we have officially become a member of the Brain Injury of America’s Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS) Alliance. This accomplishment is a very special one, as we are now the only healthcare provider in the state of Indiana to be an ACBIS Alliance member. With RHI’s very own Wendy Waldman serving as the President of the Indiana chapter of BIAA, we have always worked very closely with the organization. Becoming an alliance member has always been a goal for our hospital, and to finally achieve the eligibility is a very rewarding achievement.

ACBIS is the largest program in the nation providing education, training, certification, and ongoing resources for multi-disciplinary specialists in the brain injury community. To become an official alliance member is no easy task, as each member is required to have at least 20% of its staff who are eligible for certification as Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) or Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer (CBIST). And to achieve CBIS certification you must have at least 500 hours of currently verifiable direct contact experience with an individual or individuals with brain injury, complete the required coursework, and take a written examination. To top it all off, each certified professional is required to complete 10 hours of continuing education specific to brain injury each year.

After joining ACBIS, RHI is proud to be provide over 70 CBIS certified professionals to the already staggering number of over 7,000 CBIS certified professionals across the nation. The certification gives clinicians the tools to understand the unique needs of persons recovering from brain injury and requires certificants to keep up on current resources in the field.

RHI CEO Dan Woloszyn had this to say when he was asked about what it means for patients to be cared for by someone who is CBIS certified: “To be CBIS certified lends trust and credibility to the treatment process that is evidence-based and necessary to care for a person with a brain injury. This in turn leads to a level of security in those being cared for and better outcomes and quality of life.”

With over 70 CBIS certified staff members, this number signifies not only RHI’s commitment to excellence in supporting the specialization of its physicians, but it also represents our commitment to the population RHI serves. Dr. Woloszyn states, “at RHI, we place a very strong emphasis on employing staff that believe in and practice evidence-based treatment that is cutting edge and provides value to the persons we serve. Certification of our staff is yet another commitment and value added to our professional teams and patients.”

To learn more about the Brain Injury Association of America or the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists, please visit their website at www.biausa.org.