Neuroscience Institute Benchmark Newsletter, Winter 2016

University of Cincinnati
Neuroscience Institute
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WINTER 2016
New home planned for
UC Neuroscience Institute
The University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute has launched a $123 million
fundraising campaign that will fund a new world-class outpatient facility for
people with neurologic and psychiatric diseases. The campaign also will expand
existing research programs, create new research programs, spark recruitment
of additional physicians and researchers, support new training fellowships, and
expand community-wide programming.
More than $30 million of the $54.5 million philanthropic goal for the project
already has been raised.
Joseph Broderick, MD
Director, UC Neuroscience Institute
CENTERS & PROGRAMS
¾ Brain Tumor Center
The new facility will be a signature landmark on the main thoroughfare to the
medical campus. Centrally located at 223 Piedmont Ave., the current site of the
Piedmont Mews apartment complex, the building will be designed around a
holistic and integrated patient-care model. It will help expand services, enhance
coordination of clinical care, seamlessly incorporate clinical research and
innovative treatments, and include supportive services such as rehabilitation
therapies and integrative medicine.
continued on page 2
Mood Disorders Center leads
landmark MOBILITY trial
Researchers at the UC Mood Disorders Center and their New
York colleagues have begun enrolling patients in a landmark
study that could become the largest controlled psychiatric
clinical trial ever for children and adolescents. The $12.9
million study, called MOBILITY, will assess the effectiveness
of the drug metformin as a treatment for adolescents
with bipolar spectrum disorders who are taking secondgeneration antipsychotic (SGA) medications.
¾ Comprehensive Stroke Center
¾ Epilepsy Center
¾ Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s
Disease and Movement Disorders
¾ Memory Disorders Center
¾ Mood Disorders Center
¾ Neurobiology Research Center
¾ Neuromuscular Center
¾ Neurosensory Disorders Center
¾ Neurotrauma Center
¾ Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis
¾ Headache and Facial Pain Program
¾ Neurocritical Care Program
¾ Neurorestorative Program
The researchers, led by Mood Disorders Center CoDirector Melissa DelBello, MD, MS, the Dr. Stanley and
Mickey Kaplan Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Neuroscience, will assess whether metformin when added to a healthy lifestyle
intervention is better than lifestyle intervention alone. Specifically, the researchers
will assess whether metformin plus lifestyle intervention can inhibit unwanted side
effects (e.g., weight gain, cholesterol spikes, type 2 diabetes) in adolescents taking
SGA’s. The researchers plan to enroll 1,800 youth from 20 sites.
Continued on page 5
Melissa DelBello, MD
1
HEALING
New home planned for UC Neuroscience
Institute (continued from page 1)
“We envision a new hub for the UC Neuroscience Institute
that will provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in a
single location,” says Joseph Broderick, MD, Director of the
UC Neuroscience Institute. “The design and infrastructure will
enhance our processes to more efficiently integrate research
and education with clinical care and to improve the patient
experience. In addition, it will provide space for educational
workshops and seminars to benefit the entire community.”
About one in seven people will be affected by neurologic or
psychiatric disease or injury in their lifetime. The UC Neuroscience
Institute was established in 1998 through a partnership between
the UC College of Medicine and UC Health. A leading treatment,
research and teaching center for complex neurological conditions,
it includes more than 100 faculty members from 15 clinical
specialties working collaboratively. The institute also runs more
than 100 active clinical trials at any given time and has received
more than $120 million in grant funding over the past five years.
“The UC Neuroscience Institute is a model teaching, research
and treatment center, where the best and the brightest are
pioneering new treatments and saving lives,” says UC President
Santa Ono. “Its success, and the success of the University of
Cincinnati, would not be possible without the support of the
Greater Cincinnati community.”
Since its founding, the UC Neuroscience Institute has created
national models for evidence-based treatment and research of
complex neurologic conditions. It is a founding member of three
elite NIH-funded clinical trial networks: StrokeNet, NeuroNext, and
the Neurological Emergency Treatment Trials (NETT). In addition,
it is the national coordinating center for StrokeNet, which directs
all of the NIH-funded stroke trials in the United States.
Local philanthropists and foundations
have already made significant investments
in the campaign. Lead donors include:
¾ James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation
¾ Farmer Family Foundation
¾ Anna & Harold W. Huffman Foundation
¾ Mr. George J. Wile
¾ Mr. Harry C. Brown
¾ Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation
¾ Neurosciences Foundation
¾ The Charles L. Shor Foundation
¾ Mrs. Miriam R. Lurie
¾ Mrs. Dorothy W. Whitaker
2
Paula’s Story: New treatment
for large-vessel strokes
No one ever wants to suffer a stroke. But when Paula suffered a
major, life-threatening stroke in September 2013 while working at a local deli, one might say that her timing was perfect.
First and foremost, Paula got to the University of Cincinnati Medical
Center quickly and in time for effective treatment. Paula’s manager
realized that Paula couldn’t speak and that her mouth was drooping
– classic signs of a stroke caused by a blockage. The manager called
9-1-1, ensuring that Paula could be evaluated, diagnosed and treated
within the 3- to 4 ½-hour window for acute stroke care.
Then, in a turn of fate, Paula’s arrival at the emergency room also
coincided with a pivotal moment in stroke care: the arrival of the
successful clot-retrieving device.
For years, stroke researchers around the world had been trying
to prove that in a case like Paula’s, where oxygen to the brain is
cut off by a large clot in a major blood vessel, it would be most
effective to remove the clot rather than to simply try to dissolve it.
But the doctors who wanted so desperately to retrieve those clots
were unable to prove that this method was any better or safer
than administering the clot-dissolving drug tPA, which for years
was the only FDA-approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke.
By the time Paula received her diagnosis of an intracranial left
carotid occlusion – a major stroke on the left side of her brain –
some of those same stroke specialists at the UC Comprehensive
Stroke Center were poised with new clot-retrieval technologies
and were prepared to begin testing one of those technologies
as part of an international study called THERAPY.
Paula’s husband recognized the value of clinical trials and made
the decision to have her participate. By enrolling in the study, Paula
had a 50-50 chance of being treated in the conventional way –
with rtPA alone – and a 50-50 chance of being treated with both
rtPA and the promising new clot retrieval device. With a flip of a
coin, Paula was assigned to receive the newer treatment. Paula’s
outcome was dramatic. Despite the severity of her stroke, she went
home a few days later and recovered without major deficits.
“The stroke has caused lingering effects,” Paula acknowledges. “I don’t have the
strength in my right leg or right arm,
and I walk with a limp. But I’m walking.
My voice is raspy, and I can’t talk any louder than I am right now. But I’m talking.
Waddell Center strengthens service to Ohio Valley region
The Waddell Center for Multiple
Sclerosis has undergone a major
expansion with the hiring of
four new neurologists, a nurse
practitioner, a social worker and
two medical assistants. Never more
robust than it is today, the Waddell
Center can now offer clinical services
at the highest level to patients in the
tristate and beyond.
Aram Zabeti MD
In addition, the Waddell Center is
also greatly expanding the number
of clinical trials it offers patients. UC Health recently purchased
a Dayton, Ohio, clinical trials practice that includes three clinical
trials coordinators and more than a dozen ongoing clinical trials
in MS. “Clinical research brings future therapies to people who
are suffering today,” says Aram Zabeti, MD, Medical Director of
the Waddell Center. “With our new additions to clinical research,
we are in a better position than ever to do that.”
The Waddell Center’s new MS specialists are:
¾ Michelle Bowman, MD, who sees patients at the UC Health
Physicians Office North in West Chester, Ohio
¾ Allen DeSena, MD, PhD, who sees patients at the UC Health
Physicians Office Clifton and at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical Center
¾ Elizabeth Dragan, MD, who sees patients in Clifton, in West
Chester and at the Hoxworth Building
¾ Lawrence Goldstick, MD, who practices at the UC Neurology
Clinic in Dayton, Ohio
¾ Sandy Parawira, MSN, a nurse practitioner who sees patients in
Clifton and West Chester
The Waddell Center’s multidisciplinary team also includes specialists
in urology, neuro-ophthalmology, neuropsychology, and physical
medicine and rehabilitation. Because rehabilitation is important
for people at all stages of MS, the Waddell Center has re-energized
its rehabilitation programs, including restorative yoga and aqua
therapy for MS.
Can marijuana help reduce seizures?
What we know and what we don’t
Michael Privitera, MD
Despite the abundance of media
hype, there is much we don’t know
about medical marijuana’s potential
to help people with hard-to-treat
epilepsy and seizure disorders. That
was one of the messages delivered
by Michael Privitera, MD, Director of
the UC Epilepsy Center, at a sold-out
symposium, “Strategies for Managing
Epilepsy,” at the Daniel Drake Center
for Post-Acute Care in November.
“Much important information is still
missing,” Dr. Privitera said. “We still don’t have much evidence.
Does cannabis truly help seizures? And if so, which types? Or can
it make seizures worse?”
Dr. Privitera said that a small series of patients and single-patient
reports of children with Dravet’s syndrome and other difficult seizure
syndromes suggest that some children were helped by extracts
that contained high levels of cannabidiol, or CBD, a component of
marijuana that does not produce euphoria. But he cautioned that
“a recent series of cases from Denver Children’s Hospital indicates
that many children do not respond, and some get worse.”
Medical marijuana, unlike marijuana sold on the street, is
consistent in its formula, purity and shelf-life. In street marijuana,
the product’s concentration, additives and age are unknown.
The marijuana derivative THC is approved by the FDA to treat
appetite loss and severe nausea in patients who have AIDS or
are undergoing chemotherapy. Synthetic marijuana has been
approved in Europe for spasticity in multiple sclerosis.
Medical marijuana has some advantages over existing
medications, Dr. Privitera said. It causes few drug interactions, for
example. It also has known side effects, including the potential for
addiction and abuse and, in children, the risk of cognitive impact.
“Chronic abuse of cannabis is associated with a reduction in
motivation, cognition and judgment,” he added.
Research is critical but has been limited because the federal
government classifies plant-based marijuana as a Schedule 1
drug. “The epilepsy community can help us discover the true
value of medical marijuana by supporting legislation to re-classify
marijuana to make research easier and by supporting clinical
trials,” Dr. Privitera said.
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DISCOVERING
Glioma’s true nature lies in its DNA
Christopher McPherson, MD
In the diagnosis of a glioma brain
tumor, looks can be deceiving.
A glioma that looks relatively
unaggressive under a microscope may
still have lethal potential. That is a key
finding of research recently published
by the Cancer Genome Atlas Research
Network, a national consortium that
includes researchers from the Brain
Tumor Center at the UC Neuroscience
Institute and UC Cancer Institute.
The researchers discovered that
some glioma tumors that appeared to be “lower grade” contained
a genetic characteristic that caused them to behave like the most
aggressive, high-grade gliomas, also known as glioblastoma
multiforme. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health,
was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“This suggests that molecular diagnosis is and will become
more important than the pathologic grades we currently use,”
says Christopher McPherson, MD, a neurosurgeon and principal
investigator of Cincinnati’s portion of the study. “As a result, we are
changing how we treat gliomas today, and our knowledge will
usher in more dramatic changes in the future.”
The study represents “a landmark,” says Ronald Warnick, MD,
Director of the UC Brain Tumor Center and the John M. Tew, Jr., MD,
Chair in Neurosurgical Oncology. “These findings open the door
to the development of targeted treatments for variants of the
glioma tumor and for subsequent clinical trials.”
The Cancer Genome Atlas study reaffirmed previous findings that
grades II and III gliomas could be divided into three distinct subtypes. Researchers also discovered that gliomas without a certain
mutation resembled that of a grade IV glioma—or glioblastoma.
The findings reinforce standard diagnostic and treatment protocols
at the UC Brain Tumor Center, says Neuro-Oncologist Rekha
Chaudhary, MD. “We automatically determine the genetic profile
of glioma tumors that have been removed from our patients,”
Dr. Chaudhary says. “Then we offer patients the opportunity to
know what we found.”
Dr. Chaudhary cautions that a glioma’s genetic profile does not
always predict outcome. “It is a better predictor of survival, but
is not perfect,” she says. “We have had patients who had a good
genetic profile but whose cancer progressed rapidly. We also have
had patients with an unfavorable genetic profile who did well. For
this reason, patients should never abandon hope.”
UC Department of Neurosurgery seeks public input
regarding investigational hypothermia treatment for blood
clot on the brain due to trauma
New investigational research treatment for traumatic brain injury
We are seeking public input before launching a research study
aimed at improving the odds that patients who suffer severe
traumatic brain injury with a subdural hematoma (blood clot on
the brain) will go on to live a normal life. The randomized clinical
trial will assess whether maintaining a moderately low body
temperature, known as hypothermia, will improve the mental
and physical outcomes in these patients.
Waiver of consent
Patients suffering severe head injuries are unconscious and
unable to provide their consent to participate in a research
therapy trial. Federal law requires us to gather public comment
before the study begins because physicians in some cases need
to proceed with emergency treatment before the opportunity to
obtain consent. Federal law established the “waiver of consent”
in 1996 so that physicians could begin emergency experimental
treatment after injury before obtaining consent from the patient
4
or from a legal guardian or family member. Under terms of the
hypothermia study, patients with a blood clot on the brain due
to severe head injury will be evaluated by a neurosurgeon in the
emergency room to determine if the patient meets criteria for
inclusion in the study. If so, the patient would be randomized to
body temperature management at either normal temperature or hypothermia.
How you can help
To qualify for the waiver of consent, our researchers are informing
the public about this new research treatment through the news
media, press releases, and lectures to local community groups.
You can help by first understanding how the research treatment
is conducted (learn about hypothermia), then please take a
moment to complete a short accompanying survey.
For more information, please call (513) 558-3546 or e-mail
[email protected]
Mobility
(continued from page 1)
Michael Sorter, MD, will lead the efforts at Cincinnati Children’s
Hospital Medical Center, and Christoph Correll, MD, will lead
efforts at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.
The $12.9 million contract is part of the Patient-Centered
Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), an independent nonprofit,
nongovernmental organization that was established and
funded by the Affordable Care Act of 2010. PCORI’s mission is to
fund research that will provide clinicians and patients with the
evidence-based information they need to make better health
care decisions.
Studies have shown that patients with bipolar disorder are at
greater risk than the general population for being overweight and
obese, partly because of treatment with medications associated
with weight gain. “These treatments work, but unfortunately
the side effects can include weight gain and we need to find a
way to mitigate the high rates of obesity and improve treatment
adherence,” Dr. DelBello says.
Designing the study was a group effort that included partnerships
with regional and national mental health facilities as well as
families impacted by bipolar disorder.
UC joins Northeast ALS
Research Consortium
Robert Neel, MD
The University of Cincinnati has
been admitted into the Northeast
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Consortium, an international research
collaborative based in Boston that
includes more than 100 members.
Membership in the consortium, also
known as NEALS, positions the UC
Health ALS Clinic for acceptance
into ALS clinical trials and will enable
the clinic to bring the most current
clinical ALS research to the region.
“This will allow the UC team to be able to offer not only the most
current clinical treatments, but also innovative ways for the ALS
community here in our region to be able to contribute to the
fight against this disease,” says Robert Neel, MD, pictured above, a
UC Health neurologist and Director of the ALS Clinic, which is part
of the UC Neuromuscular Center.
NIH renews landmark
stroke study for $6.8 million
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $6.8 million,
5-year renewal of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Stroke Study, which has identified 20,000 cases of stroke and
transient ischemic attack in a racially diverse, five-county region
since 1993. The study has shed light on stroke incidence and
created widespread awareness.
The study is led by co-principal investigators Dawn Kleindorfer,
MD, Co-Director of the UC Comprehensive Stroke Center, and
Brett Kissela, MD, Chairman of the Department of Neurology and
Rehabilitation Medicine at the UC College of Medicine.
“The study is a great resource for understanding stroke—how it
applies in our community and therefore how we can generalize
that to the rest of the country,” Dr. Kissela says.
Says Dr. Kleindorfer: “Any new drug, any new therapy, any clinical
trial that is going to be planned has to start with this question:
How many people is it going to be relevant for? That’s where our
study comes in ... Anytime you hear the national numbers for
stroke, they come from our city.”
The study has produced numerous major findings, including:
¾ African-Americans have higher rates of stroke than
Caucasians, and they tend to have them at a younger age.
¾ The number of hemorrhages associated with blood thinners
rose four-fold over a 10-year period because of the increased
use of blood thinners to prevent stroke from atrial fibrillation.
¾ The incidence of ischemic stroke (caused by a blockage of
blood flow to the brain) appears to be declining in whites
while remaining stable among blacks, suggesting a possible
racial disparity.
Brett Kissela, MD and Dawn Kleindorfer, MD
5
LIVING
A story worth singing about
There were no headaches. There
were no fainting spells. There
was no dizziness. For months
the problem was all in Billi’s right
eye. Her ability to read road
signs was diminishing, even
with her glasses on. A visit to her
optometrist in Dayton confirmed
the problem: With her left eye
closed and looking only with her
right eye, she could not read the
top line of the eye chart.
Billi, pictured above with her son,
Trenton, sang the National Anthem
at the 2015 Walk Ahead for a Brain
Tumor Cure
Billi’s optometrist gave her a new
prescription, with a much stronger
lens for the right eye. But a few
months later, she began having
vision problems again.
Billi was referred to an ophthalmologist, who ordered an MRI and
soon delivered the shocking news. “I don’t know any other way to
say this, but you have a brain tumor,” he told her. “You have a mass
growing somewhere in your brain, and it’s pressing on your optic
nerve, and that’s why your vision has been blurry. I don’t know
how fast it’s growing, or how long it has been growing, but if it
keeps going, it will damage your optic nerve and you will become
blind in that eye. I am going to refer you to the best surgeon I
know, Dr. Mario Zuccarello, at the University of Cincinnati Brain
Tumor Center.”
Billi underwent surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical
Center on September 9, 2014. “Dr. Zuccarello was expecting
to perform a 6-hour surgery, but it took 13 hours,” Billi recalls.
“Apparently my face had grown extra bone; it was as if my body
was trying to protect me from the tumor, almost push it away,
not let it get to any area of brain where it could harm me. Dr.
Zuccarello had to remove the bone first, then the tumor, then
reconstruct the area with titanium mesh.”
New spinal cord injury
clinic at Drake Center
Angela Stillwagon, DO
People who suffer an injury to the
spinal cord require a long series of
treatments that may last months
or even years. After discharge from
the hospital or rehabilitation facility,
they and their loved ones may
confront a challenging “new normal”
as they cope with ongoing health
care needs. The newly launched UC
Health Spinal Cord Injury Clinic is
there to help.
“Too often, the medical needs of
people with spinal cord injuries fall through the cracks,” says
Angela Stillwagon, DO, a physical medicine and rehabilitation
specialist. “Family doctors don’t offer specialized services, yet
patients no longer need to see a neurologist or surgeon. The
new UC Health Spinal Cord Injury Clinic fills this gap. We offer
the understanding and TLC that survivors of spinal cord injury
deserve. We provide medical interventions that can truly
improve their quality of life.”
The Spinal Cord Injury Clinic enables patients and loved ones to
see physicians and therapists during the course of a single visit
to the Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care. Services include
physical and occupational therapy, skin and wound care, urology
services, custom wheelchair seating and positioning, and warmwater pool therapy.
A biopsy showed that the tumor was an atypical meningioma.
It was benign, but the cells were aggressive. As a result, Dr. Luke
Pater, a radiation oncologist who is affiliated with the UC Brain
Tumor Center, recommended that Billi undergo TomoTherapy
at the Precision Radiotherapy Center to better the odds that the
tumor would never grow back.
Today, Billi’s face looks normal and the stiffness in her jaw has
almost completely subsided. Best of all, she is back doing all the
things she loves: taking care of her children, running her beauty
business and performing neo-soul favorites with her beautiful
voice. She is also fulfilling a promise she made to herself – and to
God -- if her eye and jaw and face were restored: she is sharing
her story for the benefit of others and raising money for research
through Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure.
6
Lisa Newport, an aquatic specialist at the Daniel Drake Center for PostAcute Care for nearly 20 years, teaches warm-water exercise classes for
people impacted by many neurological conditions, including multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and
brain and spinal cord injury.
COMMUNITY
Tom Mueller honored with
Sunflower Victory Award
A heartfelt thank you
The physicians, researchers, managers and associates of the UC
Neuroscience Institute gratefully acknowledge these recent major
gifts from our donors, supporters and friends:
¾ A $100,000 gift from Dorothy “Bunny”
Whitaker has enabled UC Health to add a
nurse practitioner and a social worker to the
multidisciplinary team at the UC Memory
Disorders Center.
Dorothy Whitaker
¾ The 6th annual Walk Ahead for a Brain
Tom Mueller, an integral member of the James J. and Joan A. Gardner
Family Foundation, was honored with the Sunflower Victory
Award at the September 12 Sunflower Revolution Symposium &
Expo for inspiring, empowering and giving hope to others in the
Parkinson’s disease community. He represents the “Move to Live,
Live to Move” philosophy of the Sunflower Revolution.
“Tom and his wife, Linda, have been community leaders in the
generation of awareness, support groups and fundraising for
Parkinson’s disease well-being and research,” says Andrew Duker,
MD, Co-Director of the Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s
Disease and Movement Disorders. “They have carried on their
family’s tradition of active involvement and wholehearted
support of causes they believe in, and our community is the one
to reap the rewards.”
In November 2014 the Gardner Family Foundation announced
a transformational, $14 million commitment to help provide the
Institute with a new home.
Educating our patients and
families
Educational outreach is part of the UC Neuroscience Institute’s
core mission. In September, the Gardner Center’s annual
Sunflower Revolution Parkinson’s Disease Symposium &
Expo drew 650 patients, family members and caregivers to
the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland, Ohio. In October,
the Midwest Regional Brain Tumor Conference drew 117
attendees to the Sharonville Convention Center from Ohio,
Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan. The November 21 symposium,
"Strategies for Managing Epilepsy," filled quickly and was sold
out. Presentations at the three symposia were videotaped and
can be viewed online via www.uchealth.com/neuroscience. Click
on the appropriate center; go to “For Patients”; and then click on
“Educational Conferences” in the dropdown box.
Tumor Cure, chaired by Brian Wiles and his
brother, Joe Wiles, raised $340,000 for the
UC Brain Tumor Center. Team Mama Deb,
captained by Cindy Switzer, led all teams
with $18,200 in funds raised.
¾ The $3 million gift from the Anna and
Brian and Joe Wiles
Harold W. Huffman Foundation, made
in honor of The Reverend Dr. Larry Paul “LP” Jones, who is
battling glioblastoma, is funding research into cancer cell
signaling and cancer cell metabolism.
¾ The Forget-Me-Not Gala, chaired by Arden Steffen and her
sister, Tara Steffen, netted a record $60,000 for Alzheimer’s
disease research at the Memory Disorders Center. Platinum
sponsors were the Alois Alzheimer Center and Superior Care
Plus, Inc.
¾ Chipping Away at Parkinson’s, chaired by Paul Lake and Bob
Dames, presented a check for $35,000 to the Gardner Center.
¾ Organizers for Putting for Parkinson's, chaired by Joy and Scott
Layman, presented a check for $24,200 to the Gardner Center.
S AV E T H E D AT E I N 2 0 1 6 !
April 21 Annual Brain Tumor Center WineTasting
July 15
Putting for Parkinson’s
August 13
Sunflower Rev It Up for Parkinson’s Symposium & Expo
September 11 Sunflower Rev It Up for Parkinson’s Bike / Run / Walk
September 30 Forget-Me-Not Gala for Alzheimer’s Research
October 22
Midwest Regional Brain Tumor Conference
October 23
Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure
Visit UCHealth.com/neuro/events
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Non Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID
University of Cincinnati Medical Center
UC Neuroscience Institute
Cincinnati, OH
Permit 1232
234 Goodman St.
Cincinnati OH 45219
Editorial Board:
Cindy Starr, MSJ, Editor
Joseph Broderick, MD
Allie Biggs
Lori Uphaus, MHA
Contacts:
To schedule an appointment with
a physician, call (513) 475-8730.
To reach the Neuroscience
Institute, call (513) 584-2214 or
(866) 941-UCNI.
UCHealth.com/neuro
TRANSITIONS/APPOINTMENTS
UC Medical Center
recertified as Advanced
Stroke Center
The University of Cincinnati Medical Center has been recertified
by the Joint Commission as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke
Center, a level of certification reserved for institutions with specific
abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases. The
UC Medical Center, which is home to the UC Comprehensive
Stroke Center, first received the Advanced Comprehensive Stroke
Center designation in 2013, less than a year after it was launched
by the Joint Commission in partnership with the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association and with the guidance
of the Brain Attack Coalition. There is no higher stroke certification.
UCNI Friends’ Blog
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You Tube
National honors
Michael Privitera, MD
Andrew Duker, MD
Lee Zimmer, MD
Michael Privitera, MD, Director of the
comprehensive, Level 4 UC Epilepsy Center,
became the new president of the American
Epilepsy Society (AES) during the organization’s
69th annual meeting in Philadelphia in
December. Dr. Privitera will lead the Board of
Directors in advancing the AES’s strategic plan.
The UC College of Medicine honored 13 faculty
members for ranking in the top 10 percent
of providers in the Press Ganey national
database for patient experience with clinic
visits. They included Andrew Duker, MD,
a neurologist with the James J. and Joan A.
Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease
and Movement Disorders, and Lee Zimmer,
MD, PhD, a skull base and sinus surgeon with
the Neurosensory Disorders Center and Brain
Tumor Center.