QBIC’s brain injury roadshow rolls into Toowoomba

In early November 2024, health professionals and community members from Toowoomba were invited to a brain injury showcase designed at improving care across the trajectory of acquired brain injury.

The Queensland Brain Injury Collaborative (QBIC) event was organised in partnership with the National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ). It is one of a series of events taking place in rural and regional locations throughout Queensland.

Following the successful Cairns event in October, QBIC Director Fatima Nasrallah said the Toowoomba event reinforced the roadshows’ ability to enhance networks of research, healthcare, community and industry partners.

“You need to understand the continuum of care to make any inferences about brain injury, given it is such a complex condition,” Associate Professor Nasrallah said.

“We developed QBIC to deepen this understanding. These roadshows bring together people who, working together, can make a difference.”

The Toowoomba roadshow included two distinct events, the first being an information session at the Burke & Wills Hotel for over 50 general practioners and allied health providers to network and build relationships with brain injury specialists.

During this ‘Integrated Pathways in Brain Injury Recovery’ session, expert speakers shared their experiences and observations from treating people living with traumatic brain injury.

Our speakers and the topics they covered included:

• Dr Alistair Hamilton, Emergency Physician on 'Emergency Care for Brain Injury: Critical First Steps'
• Madeline Jaeger, Georgia Parsons, Libby O'Connor and Brita Canning, on 'Allied Health Solutions in Brain Injury Recovery: A Physiotherapy Perspective'
• Dr Nisal Gange, Clinical Director at Toowoomba Hospital on 'Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Specialised Brain Injury Services in Regional Areas'
• Dr Prasoon Gupte, Psychiatrist on 'A Psychiatrist’s Perspective: Mental Health Challenges After Brain Injury'
• Sarah Hazelhurst, Art Therapist from Momentum Mental Health on 'Integrating Therapeutic Arts into TBI Recovery'
• Zara Gomes, Queensland Ballet for Brain Injury on 'Brain Injury and Arts, Dance as a therapy'.

The second event was a free community information session at the Toowoomba City Library. Around 60 locals attended the ‘Supporting Recovery: Community Pathways for Life After Brain Injury’ session, including many with lived experience, their carers and local experts.

Our speakers and the topics they covered included:

• Jason, a person with a lived experience on 'Living with a brain injury'

• Angela Kalantzis, The Brain Injury Community on 'Building Strong Community Support Networks'

• Ally Champion, Queensland Ballet for Brain Injury on 'Movement and Recovery: Queensland Ballet Demonstration'

• Suzanne Wright, STEPS Program on 'Community Reintegration: Strategies and Challenges'

• Jennifer Cullen, CEO of Synapse on 'Mental Health and Brain Injury: Community Support Systems'

• Randall Wood, Filmmaker on 'The Brain Garden'

• Kerry Mallon, National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ) on 'Creating a Recovery Roadmap: Setting Personalised Goals'.

We are grateful to each speaker for generously sharing their expertise and time. It was inspiring to witness the networking and connections that blossomed during both events. We eagerly anticipate returning to Toowoomba to strengthen these relationships and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

For further information about the sessions, please email QBIC.