Being there for patients when they need us most is one of the most powerful ways that we make a difference at Penn Medicine — and for patients whose lives change in an instant due to critical injury and illnesses that strike without warning, the call is even more profound. As the story linked below about one traumatic brain injury patient’s remarkable recovery notes, two important factors can make all the difference: the speed with which a person receives emergency care and the expertise of the clinicians providing it.
The integrated trauma care team at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center gave Pavel Rozman the most advanced specialty care in the region — from the ER to the OR, to recovery and rehab. They also came through with that all-important human touch and connection, thanks to the good luck that Pavel’s neurosurgeon could speak to his grandparents in their native Russian.
Like Pavel, many TBI survivors still experience issues relating to the injury well after rehab’s end. Penn Medicine’s annual Mind Your Brain conference — which is free to TBI survivors, families, and caregivers — provides resources and information to find help they need, as well as a glimpse into what the future may hold for new approaches. Mind Your Brain is also a place where patients can come together to find compassion and inspiration for the steps on the road to recovery that lie ahead. Though the 2020 conference has been cancelled as a result of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, it is just one example of many community outreach and education programs we offer our patients each year.
Telling each other’s stories is powerful — read on to see how Pavel’s story has taken him from the worst moment of his life to a new path inspiring other TBI survivors.
Read Pavel Rozman’s story on the Penn Medicine News Blog: Resilience and Recovery, From Brain Injury to Law School