The Catalyst Issue 11 | Summer 2011 | Page 29

Our mood, memory, and movement. Our intellect, emotions, and reactions. The brain and spinal cord are quite literally the nerve center of our entire being, controlling our activities from cognitive function to the coordinated actions we take each day. From eating to breathing, from sunup to sundown. ctually, the brain never rests— while we sleep, the brain’s neurons are busy firing, shuttling us from one sleep stage to the next and getting us ready to take on the next day. It’s that same tenacity that drives the experts at the Scott & White Neuroscience Institute, who offer comprehensive and coordinated patient care and conduct leading-edge research in an educational environment. The Scott & White Neuroscience Institute was created in 2007 and consists of four specialties that focus exclusively on the neurological system: neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, and psychiatry. In 2010 the Scott & White Neuroscience Institute was named a Neuroscience Center of Excellence by healthcare consulting firm NeuStrategy. To achieve that distinction, the Scott & White neuroscience team demonstrated a multidisciplinary approach to care, a breadth and depth of medical and surgical expertise, and leading-edge (basic and translational) research. In other words, the Neuroscience Institute embodies a best-ofclass approach to unraveling the mysteries of neurological disease. A A system of excellence for each individual The core of the Neuroscience Institute is its four integrated and complementary specialties. The integrated approach to care is designed to provide coordinated neurological services to deliver highquality results and create a positive patient experience and outcome. Gerhard Friehs, MD, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, says, “If a neurologist believes his patient needs to consult with a neurosurgeon, all he has to do is pick up a patient’s chart, knock on my door, and say, ‘I have Mr. Smith here, and I would like to discuss what we should do to best help him.’” Neurological conditions may be assessed and diagnosed by one specialty and treated by another specialty area. The patient has the comfort of knowing that his or her care is being managed by a team. “The patient who comes to our Neuroscience Institute is followed through by one physician who becomes the team leader based on what disease he or she has,” Dr. Friehs says. Every physician, specialist, nurse, social worker, and therapist involved THE SCOTT & WHITE NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT FOR: • brain tumors—including minimally invasive surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery • cerebrovascular conditions—including aneurysms, stroke, coiling/stenting procedures • dementia—including Alzheimer’s and Diffuse Levy Body disease • epilepsy • movement disorders—including Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, tremor, restless leg syndrome, nonsurgical and surgical intervention • multiple sclerosis • pain disorders—including back pain, psychiatric conditions, headache • pediatric services—including neurology—attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), neurosurgery, neuropsychology, and psychiatry • peripheral nerve injuries and conditions—including carpal tunnel and tarsal tunnel syndromes • psychiatric disorders—including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, nonsurgical and surgical intervention • spinal conditions—including minimally invasive surgery • traumatic brain injury www.sw.org | Summer/Fall 11 THE CATALYST 29