The adam williams initiative: Collaborating with community resources to improve care for traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND The Brain Trauma Foundation has developed treatment guidelines for the care of patients with acute traumatic brain injury. However, a method to provide broad acceptance and application of these guidelines has not been published. OBJECTIVE To describe methods for the development, funding, and continued educational efforts of the Adam Williams Initiative; the experiences from the first 10 years may serve as a template for hospitals and nurses that seek to engage in long-term quality improvement collaborations with foundations and/or industry. METHODS In 2004, the nonprofit Adam Williams Initiative was established with the goal of providing education and resources that would encourage hospitals across the United States to incorporate the Brain Trauma Foundation's guidelines into practice. RESULTS Between 2004 and 2014, 37 hospitals have been funded by the Adam Williams Initiative and have had staff members participate in an immersion experience at Mission Hospital (Mission Viejo, California) during which team members received both didactic and hands-on education in the care of traumatic brain injury. CONCLUSIONS Carefully cultivated relationships and relentless teamwork have contributed to successful implementation of the Brain Trauma Foundation's guidelines in US hospitals.