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MARCH 2026
Feature Story
DeRoon-Cassini receives grant to launch new MKE Trauma Recovery Center in September
The Department of Surgery's Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, in collaboration with the Froedtert Hospital and Children’s Wisconsin level 1 trauma centers, was awarded $1 million in funding to launch Milwaukee’s first Trauma Recovery Center.
Based on an evidenced-based model developed by UC San Francisco, the MKE Trauma Recovery Center (MKE TRC) will incorporate community stakeholder input to create a multidisciplinary mental health treatment center for survivors of violence.
The services offered by the MKE Trauma Recovery Center will be free to survivors and include evidence-based care for adults and children. Funding for this project comes from the Department of Justice and National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC) over two years and includes support from the NATRC to create sustainability funding after the award period ends.
Terri deRoon-Cassini, PhD, professor of surgery and director of MCW's Comprehensive Injury Center, is the principal investigator on this project and will direct the MKE TRC. Other MCW faculty and staff who contributed to the development of this proposal and will be heavily involved in the MKE TRC creation include Colleen Trevino, PhD, APNP, associate professor of surgery; Reggie Moore of the Comprehensive Injury Center; Michael Levas, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics, emergency medicine; Katy Flynn-O’Brien, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery; and Bianca Tocci, PhD, MA, assistant professor of pediatrics.
The first six months of the project will involve a planning phase with the expectation of a September 1, 2026 opening of the MKE TRC. To learn more about the new MKE TRC, contact Dr. deRoon-Cassini at tcassini@mcw.edu.
Aisha Rent recognized by Versiti for outstanding support of organ donor family
Congratulations to 414LIFE Hospital Responder Aisha Rent for her recent Excellence in Donation Award from Versiti! Rent received the award for her outstanding support, compassion, and dedication while working with a family choosing to donate a loved one’s organs after the family member’s death.
Versiti said, “414Life Representative Aisha Rent was absolutely outstanding to work with and integral to the success of the case. She was onsite with the family providing amazing, compassionate support and helped them to navigate the end-of-life and organ donation processes. We are deeply grateful for Aisha’s expertise, compassion, and dedication to this family."
She received the award during a March 24 team meeting. Way to go, Aisha!
Neighborhood conditions shape how children recover from concussions, new CIC study shows
New research from a CIC-funded study on pediatric concussion recovery shows that children who experience concussions and live in neighborhoods with a lower Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) may experience a longer recovery process for their concussions. Lower neighborhood opportunity was associated with greater symptom burden, reduced likelihood of seeing a concussion specialist or any healthcare provider for follow up after injury, and increased family strain after concussion.
How they analyzed the data
The research team, led by Dr. Danny Thomas, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics at MCW and medical staff president and pediatric emergency medicine research director at Children’s Wisconsin, conducted a secondary analysis of a multi-center randomized trial of four concussion treatments. They stratified the children included in the data by COI - a measure of community-level educational, health, and economic resources - into low, middle, or high groups and then looked at outcomes including demographics, injury characteristics, Post Concussion Symptom Scale scores through two months, return to sport, follow-up within 14 days, healthcare specialty utilization, missed workdays, childcare days, and parental perceptions.
Detailed results
From the analysis, the results showed that within the study’s patient population, Black and Hispanic families and those insured by Medicaid were more likely to reside in lower COI communities. Children from lower COI neighborhoods were more likely to go to an emergency department for treatment following concussion and had higher symptom scores at 14 days, meaning they were experiencing more symptoms than children from middle and high COI neighborhoods two weeks after injury. They were also less likely to have returned to sports by one month after injury, have a follow-up medical appointment with any healthcare provider within 14 days, or be seen by sports medicine concussion specialists. Families of children in these groups reported more missed work and childcare days. Low COI was also independently associated with reduced follow-up and greater family burden.
Why this matters
The results of this study show that where a child lives plays an important role in how they recover from concussions. The long-term impacts of concussion injuries are felt throughout nearly every facet of a person’s life, so improving access to care and support systems is essential for equitable health outcomes.
To learn more about the study, contact Dr. Thomas at dthomas@mcw.edu. This study was funded by the CIC’s Injury Control Research Center grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
WCSF Mini-Grant recipient brings Psychological First Aid training to over 20 community partners
Dr. Patricia Marik, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of pediatric psychology and developmental medicine, and her team hosted a Psychological First Aid (PFA) training at MCW for over 20 community agencies on March 19. PFA is an evidence-informed approach to help individuals of all ages in the immediate aftermath of disaster (human-made mass casualty events or natural disasters) and terrorism. It is designed to reduce the occurrence of post-traumatic stress injuries.
Using funding she received from the MCW Comprehensive Injury Center’s Wisconsin Community Safety Fund Mini-Grant, Marik brought in trainers from the Complex Trauma Training Institute to facilitate the one-day event. The idea for applying for funding to offer this training stemmed from the Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Medicine team’s role in responding to the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy.
“With everything that transpired following the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy, we had the opportunity to really evaluate how equipped we were to respond to the mental health needs of a community following mass casualty incidents,” Marik said. “We saw an opportunity to provide more people with basic skills to provide targeted support that could help reduce post-traumatic stress injury following traumatic events like what happened in Waukesha.”
For more information on the training or how to get involved in future trainings, contact Dr. Marik at pmarik@childrenswi.org.
This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0135 awarded to the Medical College of Wisconsin via the Wisconsin Department of Administration by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Support 414LIFE by donating to the 414LIFE Wellness Fund
Our 414LIFE team works tirelessly to show up for our community when they are needed. They respond to incidents at all hours of the day, regardless of whether they are “on the clock”. Thanks to them, Milwaukee is a safer place to live, work, and play, but this work can take a toll on their mental and physical health. That’s why we created the 414 LIFE Wellness Fund. This fund is used to be able to provide respite to team members, to be able to provide them with access to wellness activities and restorative time. If you would like to help and donate to this fund, please visit the CIC Donation Page. In the “specify a program for this gift to support” please select “Other” and in the comments, list 414 LIFE Wellness Fund. Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested in providing support. Thank you for your continued support of the 414LIFE program and team.
CIC in the News
Recent CIC Publications
Samantha P. Leonard, Philip N. Redlich, Tracy S. Wang, Brian D. Lewis, Ryan Spellecy, Gwen Lomberk, Terri A. deRoon-Cassini, Robert Treat, Douglas B. Evans – Development and implementation of an innovative mentoring committee for early-career faculty members (Surgery)
Daniel S. Tsze, Rebecca K. Burger, Eileen J. Klein, Todd P. Chang, Keli D. Coleman, Alexander J. Rogers, Carmen D. Sulton, Corrie E. Chumpitazi, Emine M. Tunc, and Amy L. Drendel on behalf of PECARN Analgesia and Sedation Working Group – Research Priorities for paediatric procedural sedation in emergency medicine (Emergency Medicine Journal)
Zarek O. Harper, Melissa N. Anderson, Margot Putukian, Barry Bodt, Paul F. Pasquina, Michael McCrea, Thomas W. McAllister, Steven P. Broglio, and Thomas A. Buckley – Sport Participation Type and Cognitive Function in Collegiate Student-Athletes (International Journal of Sports Medicine)
Bryna D. Goeckner, Jonathan Savitz, T. Kent Teague, Benjamin L. Brett, Adriene M. Beltz, and Timothy B. Meier - The role of oral contraceptive use in associations of concussion history with kynurenine pathway metabolites, inflammation, and psychological symptoms in female athletes (Brain, Behavior, and Immunity)
*Note: Some publications may sit behind a journal’s paywall.
Upcoming Events
Join the Comprehensive Injury Center at one of these upcoming events!
Alcohol Awareness Month – April 2026
- Check out our Alcohol Awareness Month Resources available for use.
Bridge to Heal Training – Held virtually on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 from 10:00-11:30
- Zoom Registration
-Bridge to Heal training is a suicide postvention program that helps people and communities support those who have lost someone to suicide. It focuses on connection, kindness, and healing. The training explains how suicide loss can affect mental and emotional health and why compassionate communication is important. It also works to reduce stigma and make support resources easier to find.
Bridge to Hope Training – Held virtually on Monday, May 11, 2026 from 1:00-2:30
- Zoom Registration
-Bridge to Hope suicide prevention education training covers the general scope of suicide, existing resources, and the healing value of building connection. Developed by Dr. Kohlbeck, the Bridge to Hope Training covers stigmatizing language, recognizing protective and risk factors and warning signs for suicide, and how to seek and offer support for yourself and others.
2026 Wisconsin Injury and Violence Prevention Summit – Hosted by Wisconsin DHS and held virtually on June 10-11, 2026
-Registration is free
If you would like to submit news, publications, or upcoming events for this newsletter, please contact Alison Molitor, CIC communications consultant.
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