ThinkFirst

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History

In the mid-1980's, an increasing number of youth with severe injuries were arriving at emergency rooms and trauma centers. A group of concerned nurses and social workers noticed this trend and the fact that these life-altering injuries were often preventable. As a result, ThinkFirst Iowa was established in 1987 as a program of the Brain Injury Association (BIA) of Iowa. The program grew too large for the BIA and the Iowa Rehabilitaion Network took over in 1994. Then in 2001, the program was transferred to the Iowa Health System. In 2011, ThinkFirst Iowa joined the Center for Advocacy and Outreach Department at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, an affiliate of the Iowa Health System.