Diving Deeper

Note: The recording of this podcast occurred prior to the passing of Michigan’s FY27 budget.
 
For the final episode of Season 1 of the Diving Deeper podcast, Tom Judd, Executive Director of MBIPC and host of the podcast, shared his thoughts on some promising legislation with bipartisan support that has since stalled in the House of Representatives as the summer has progressed.
HB 5980 & 5981 would reverse a lot of the damage done by the 2019 reform law. Hear the details of the bills, and the positive impact these solutions will have on the brain injury community, on this episode!
Learn more about MBIPC at www.mbipc.org, and stay tuned for Season 2 of the Diving Deeper podcast coming Fall 2026!
 
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"In the early stages, I was a bit naive to how much could really be done for brain injury. The mentality, at least in the military, for a long time was if you had a brain injury you got what you got, it is what it is. I have seen so many amazing things happen working with Origami, as far as the progress and recovery that can be made, even in severe brain injury, that has been very inspiring. " said Jeffrey Frey, DO, and general adult Psychiatrist at Origami Rehabilitation.
Dr. Frey served 26 years in the military prior to his current role, and he joined Tom Judd on Diving Deeper to talk about how much can be done for those living brain injury – and how it is far more than many initially thought.
He shared his personal experiences in the military and talked about the evolution of brain injury care for those who served, examining how the brain injury community can continue to support veterans throughout their journey. 
Origami Rehabilitation 
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"We are all one car accident away from being the client." Margaret Browning, founder of Browning & Associates, joins Tom Judd on Diving Deeper to talk about guardianship and why it's important.
Margaret shares her journey from personal injury attorney to professional guardian and talks about the importance of empowerment and mutual respect in the guardian-client relationship.
Tom and Margaret also discuss the difference between guardianship and conservatorship, why everyone over 18 should have a power of attorney in place before they need it, and how co-guardianship can balance professional oversight with family involvement.
Browning & Associates
 
Thank you to Maner Costerisan for sponsoring this episode. For more than 100 years, Maner Costerisan has been right there alongside nonprofits and healthcare organizations, not just as accountants but as true partners invested in your mission.
 
Follow this podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and help the #WeAreMBIPC community by sharing Diving Deeper with your network: www.mbipc.org/divingdeeper
 
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"I've seen the worst of the worst in terms of people being injured, but I've never seen disregard for human life the way I've seen over the past couple years with this issue." Bob Mlynarek, owner of 1st Call Home Healthcare and MBIPC board member, joins Tom Judd on Diving Deeper to talk about what happens when the system designed to protect catastrophically injured people fails them.
Bob shares his journey from firefighter to basement remodeler to home healthcare provider and explains how Michigan's 2019 auto no-fault reform law forced providers to choose between going out of business or discharging patients who needed 24/7 care just to eat and survive.
Tom and Bob discuss the Andary decision that partially restored care for pre-2019 injuries, the $25 billion catastrophic fund that isn't being used for patients who paid into it, and why Bob started going to Lansing every week to explain to legislators that you can't pay caregivers $20 an hour when insurers will only reimburse $16.
1st Call Home Healthcare
 
Thank you to Risk Strategies for sponsoring this episode.
Risk Strategies was founded in 1997 on the premise that an insurance brokerage could be more – a trusted risk management advisor and partner where a focus on employees and client needs would create value and success.
 
Follow this podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and help the #WeAreMBIPC community by sharing Diving Deeper with your network: www.mbipc.org/divingdeeper
 
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"One in four people in their lifetime will sustain a brain injury of some sort." 
Nichole Shotwell, President and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), joins Tom Judd on Diving Deeper to explore how the causes of brain injury are far more common than most people realize—from concussions and strokes to car crashes and falls—and why we often don't connect these experiences as part of the same condition.
Nichole shares her journey from harp performance major to social worker to leading a statewide advocacy organization celebrating its 45th year. She talks about the broad scope of work BIAMI does, including helping individual survivors navigate food insecurity, transportation, and access to care, while simultaneously advocating in Washington, D.C., for a national brain injury action plan and reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act.
Tom and Nichole also discuss BIAMI's upcoming Legacy Society dinner honoring Tammy Hannah and Erica Coulston, the viral Magnum P.I. Day at Comerica Park (featuring 900 people in aloha shirts and fake mustaches), and why more social workers need to know about brain injury.
Brain Injury Association of Michigan
Spring Tribute Legacy Society Dinner
 
Thank you to BlackRocks Group for sponsoring today’s episode.
Led by Bill Buccalo, BlackRocks’ mission is to provide business owners and leaders with impactful strategic and financially-focused consultation. Through the development of strong relationships and deep understanding of client businesses, BlackRocks Group serves as a trusted advisor supporting growth and value creation. 
 
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"I'm a little speechless...right now I'm just trying to take it all in." Erica Coulston, the president & co-owner of Walk The Line Recovery Therapy, chats with Tom Judd in this episode of Diving Deeper. 
Erica will soon be inducted into the Brain Injury Association of Michigan's Legacy Society, and she talks about how it feels to join an incredible roster of inductees who have paved the way to recovery for auto crash survivors in Michigan. Erica looks back at her journey from being, as she describes it, a "23-year-old hippie activist that was injured in a car accident" to becoming a passionate advocate and rehabilitation clinic owner. 
On the technology front, Erica tells Tom about an innovative external spinal cord stimulator that she's excited about. ARC-EX, from Swiss company Onward, is a recovery-based tool designed to improve hand sensation and strength.
Walk The Line Recovery Therapy 
ARC-EX 
 
Thank you to Capital Insurance Services for sponsoring this episode. 
Capital Insurance Services offers a comprehensive range of business and personal insurance products and services, with a primary focus on medical professional liability.  
 
Follow this podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and help the #WeAreMBIPC community by sharing Diving Deeper with your network: www.mbipc.org/divingdeeper 
 
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“Advocacy matters. Believing in somebody matters.” Tammy Hannah, the president and CEO of Origami Rehabilitation, joins Tom Judd in the inaugural episode of Diving Deeper. 
She recounts lessons learned from one particular client who had suffered a severe brain injury and wanted to work toward getting a driver's license. Tammy reflects on her first teacher in resilience, and she shares her why -- the inspirational reason she studied to become an occupational therapist. 
Tom talks about Tammy's upcoming induction into the Brain Injury Association of Michigan's Legacy Society and her Community Service and Leadership Award, and he asks Tammy to look ahead to the challenges that providers in the brain injury field will face in years to come. 
Origami Rehabilitation 
Spring Tribute Legacy Society Dinner
 
Thank you to Risk Strategies for sponsoring this episode.
Risk Strategies was founded in 1997 on the premise that an insurance brokerage could be more – a trusted risk management advisor and partner where a focus on employees and client needs would create value and success.   
 
Follow this podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and help the #WeAreMBIPC community by sharing Diving Deeper with your network: www.mbipc.org/divingdeeper 
 
Learn more about MBIPC.
MBIPC on LinkedIn 
MBIPC on Facebook
MBIPC on Instagram
MBIPC on X