Supporting Current and Future Disorders of Consciousness Programs with State-of-the-Art Resources and Accreditation

Thursday, February 19, 2026

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM AST

Location: 209 ABC

Course Director(s)

Terrence C. Carolan, MSPT, MBA

Managing Director, Medical Rehabilitation and Aging Services
CARF International

Speaker(s)

Sangeeta P. Driver, MD, MPH

Chief of Brain Injury Medicine
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Caroline Schnakers, PhD

Associate Director
Research Institute at Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare
Jennifer Russo, MD (she/her/hers)

Associate Program Director, Brain Injury Fellowship
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation

Brief Session Description : Advances in critical care medicine have resulted in an increase in the number of individuals with Disorders of Consciousness (DoC), however barriers to accessing skilled care remains. Recent evidence has provided new guidance on the care of these individuals, and CARF International has recently created standards for transdisciplinary DoC rehabilitation programs. An expert panel will discuss the practical application of these standards, incorporating feedback from individuals with DoC and family members. The future points to a world where the volume of individuals with DoC outstrips capacity, and the resources discussed in this proposal will become essential to state-of-the-art care.