| LifeBridge Health is proud to
announce the formation of the LifeBridge
Health Brain & Spine Institute, a one-of-its-kind consortium of
specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, physical medicine and
rehabilitation and several other subspecialties. The Institute, with locations
at Sinai Hospital and Northwest Hospital Center, offers a full range of
services for brain, spine and peripheral nervous system diseases including
sophisticated diagnostic techniques, state-of-the-art surgical modalities and
comprehensive rehabilitation programs.
The development of the Brain & Spine Institute
comes at a time when there is a growing need for such comprehensive services,�
said Warren Green, president and CEO, LifeBridge Health. With the establishment
of the Institute, LifeBridge Health has significantly altered Baltimore�s vast
medical landscape for those seeking help with neurological disorders.�
Individuals with ailments ranging from back pain and
memory disorders to brain injury and movement disorders are now able to visit
with neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, physiatrists (physicians
who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation) and other medical
experts in one convenient location. After undergoing a comprehensive evaluation
to aid in diagnosis, patients are referred to a team of dedicated physicians and
medical staff who will develop a proper plan of treatment and/or procedures for
diseases of and injuries to the brain, nervous system and spine.
With physicians working closely together as part of the
same team, we can institute a plan of care that streamlines the process for the
patient,� said Adrian J. Goldszmidt, M.D., chief of the Department of Neurology
and the Stroke Center at Sinai.
To ensure the best possible patient care, the Brain
& Spine Institute has three dedicated nurse program coordinators who assist
in educating and navigating patients through what can be become a complex series
of encounters.
This is an important component and one that sets apart
from others,� said Myles Brager, M.D, director of the Spine Center at Northwest Hospital Center. Our
coordinators follow patients across the system, ensuring ease of referrals and
information sharing regardless of where they are on the inpatient/outpatient
care spectrum.�
The Brain & Spine Institute also hosts a variety of
the cutting-edge therapeutic options available today, including CyberKnife�, a groundbreaking and unique radiation
therapy that can accurately locate and target tumors. This noninvasive
outpatient treatment enables doctors to treat multiple tumors and lesions in the
brain, neck and spine, which were previously unreachable, without making a
single incision. Additional treatment options include image-guided surgery;
botulinum toxin (Botox�) therapy for
pain, spasticity
and other muscle abnormalities; implantable chemotherapy; spinal cord and
peripheral nerve stimulation; and endoscopic spinal fusions.
The Brain & Spine Institute seamlessly integrates
the three aspects of care � the initial diagnosis, surgery and post-operative
rehabilitation � for a better experience for the patient,� said Neal J. Naff,
M.D., chief of the Department of Neurosurgery at Sinai Hospital.
To deliver specialized care to patients, the Brain &
Spine Institute features an inpatient Spine Center, an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
and a certified Stroke Center, which will move to a new 36-bed, private room
neurological pavilion in the spring. In addition, a new outpatient
services building, which will house physicians within the Brain & Spine
Institute, will open in early 2007 on the Sinai campus. Other components of the
Institute include interventional pain management and rehabilitation programs on
both Sinai and Northwest Hospital campuses and the Sleep Centers at Sinai and Northwest Hospital.
The following doctors make-up the LifeBridge Health
Brain & Spine Institute:
Scott Brown, M.D.
Chief
of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Co-Director of
Neurophysiology
Director of Spasticity
Adrian Goldszmidt, M.D.
Chief of the Department Neurology
Director of the Stroke Center
Director of Headaches Program
Neal Naff, M.D.
Chief of Neurosurgery
Co-Director
of the CyberKnife Center
Mark Rosenthal, M.D.
Orthopedic Director of the Brain and Spine Institute
Sam Adler, M.D.Director of
Neuro-psychology
Michael Altman, M.D.Director of
Neuro-ophthalmology
Michael Anderson, M.D.
Director of Rehabilitation for Stroke and Neuromuscular
Disorders
Hugo Benalcazar, M.D.
Co-Director of the Spine Center at Sinai
Myles Brager, M.D.
Director of the Spine Center at Northwest Hospital
Center
Mark Brenner, M.D.
Co-Director of the CyberKnife Center
Melanie Brown, M.D.
Director of Brain Injury
Joseph Ciacci, M.D.
Co-Director of Spine Center at Sinai
Zeena Dorai, M.D.
Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery at Northwest Hospital
Center
Mass Fiandaca, M.D.
Director of Quality Assurance
P. Jay Foreman, M.D.
Epileptologist
Majid Fotuhi, M.D.
Director of Dizziness & Balance Disorders
Director of Memory & Brain Health
Ira Garonzik, M.D.
Neurosurgeon
Braeme Glaun, M.D.
Director of Neuromuscular Disorders
Co-Director of Neurophysiology
David Gordon, M.D.
Director of Neuro-urology
Agha Khan, M.D.
Director of Foundation
Alan Oshinsky, M.D.
Director of Neuro-otology
Bruce Rabin, M.D.
Neurologist
Marcia Ribeiro, M.D.
Neurologist
Saurabh Sinha, M.D.
Director of Epilepsy
Ross Sugar, M.D.
Director of Pain Medicine at Sinai Hospital
Robert Tsuji, M.D.
Director of Pain Medicine at Northwest Hospital Center
Howard Weiss, M.D.
Director of Parkinson�s and Movement Disorders
For more information about
the services available at the LifeBridge Health Brain & Spine Institute,
call 1-888-747-8899.
LifeBridge Health is a regional health organization that
includes Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital Center, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home,
and related subsidiaries and affiliates.
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